Shipping & Marine Issue 128 January 2016

Issue: 128 / January

The magazine for maritime management

Under

control A new system has been developed to meet the growing demand for a cost effective and reliable means of monitoring mooring system integrity

In this issue: u Data intelligence u ECA update u ROV u Exhaust gases u Tidal energy u Cloud computing u Sensors u ERP

issue: Winter 2015

Editor’s comments The magazine for mariTime managemenT

‘‘

Experts are predicting a tougher market for shipping and that means every player will be looking for efficiency savings, success strategies and new ways of working

Under

control A new system has been developed to meet the growing demand for a cost effective and reliable means of monitoring mooring system integrity

In this issue: u Data intelligence u ECA update u ROV u Exhaust gases u Tidal energy u Cloud computing u Sensors u ERP

Chairman Andrew Schofield Editor Libbie Hammond libbie @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk Production Manager Fleur Daniels Art Editor/Design David Howard Studio Assistant Barnaby Schofield Profiles Editor Jo Cooper Staff Writers Andrew Dann Ben Clark Production dhoward @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk studio @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk Advertisement Administrator Tracy Chynoweth studio @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk

Business Development Director David Garner Operations Director Philip Monument Editorial Researchers Rory Gallacher Jo-Ann Jeffery Advertising Sales Joe Woolsgrove - Sales Director Tim Eakins Dave King Darren Jolliffe Mark Cawston Emma Kerton Andy Ellis

Subscriptions ikidd @ schofieldpublishing.co.uk

Follow us at: @ShippingMarine

New year, new

targets

A

s I write this Editor’s page, we’re still in 2015 but by the time the magazine comes out in print we will be in the New Year. What are you all expecting for 2016?

Experts are predicting a tougher market for shipping and that means every player will be looking for efficiency savings, success strategies and new ways of working.

Shipping & Marine will continue to include features that highlight all these areas, as well as share stories of specific companies and the changes they are making in order to exceed their previous successes. I hope you find something in its pages that inspires you in some way.

Happy New Year everyone!

Editor: Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk e has & Marin Shipping site! d its web upgrade Visit rine.com -and-ma g in p ip h .s www e new to see th youts. la d n look a

Schofield Publishing Cringleford Business Centre, 10 Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, U.K. Tel: 044 (0)1603 274130 Fax: 044 (0)1603 274131 www.shipping-and-marine.com

Please note: The opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved.

The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Schofield Publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

©2016 Schofield Publishing Ltd

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Features

6

4 News Updates and announcements from the shipping and maritime arena

6 Data intelligence is king While industry leaders recognise the value of accessing more data, understanding its value is harder to achieve

8 Under control

12

There is a need for a robust and cost effective mooring integrity solution for both new build and existing installations

10 The emissions challenge Throughout the current changing trading landscape it is critical fuel suppliers remain committed to quality

10

12 An attractive option Electric ROVs are now able to perform an array of tasks so effectively they could be closing the gap on their hydraulic cousins

14 Mountain high, ocean deep Reducing atmospheric emissions from marine shipping and the technology options available to help

17 The tide of change Andrew Dann talks to RenewableUK about its commitment to empowering the future growth of the wind, tidal and wave power generation industries

20 Capitalise on the cloud 24

Cloud computing in the shipping industry and the key to successful use of cloud services

22 Sensing the way forward The development of modern sensor technology for high horsepower engines and gensets

24 A cloudy shipping forecast The role of cloud ERP in the shipping and marine industry

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Profiles 27 U-Boat Worx

27

31 The Kooiman Group 34 Serco NorthLink Ferries 40 A&P Falmouth 46 Gibraltar Port Authority 50 Biotal Marine 52 Ionic Group 55 First Marine Solutions 59 Goodwood Ship Management

130 Echoship

63 P&O Ferries

132 Nimbus Boats

65 MMC Green Technology AS

134 Delta Marine

68 Team Tankers International

136 Milaha Maritime & Logistics

72 Visser V/HI. van Raalte

138 Catapult Catamarans

75 Port of Liverpool

140 Nordhavn

78 Peel Ports

142 Mampaey Offshore Industries B.V.

84 Maats Tech

144 Docking Solutions

86 Port of Constantza

146 Bogerd Martin

89 UN Ro-Ro Isletmeleri AS 92 Port of Hanko

46

95 Post Workboats 99 IBIA 101 Institute of Marine Research 105 VT Group

107 Brødrene Aa As 110 Bierens 112 Ambrey Risk 116 Fareast Ship Management Hong Kong

116

120 Protection Vessels International

124 AFAI Southern Shipyard 126 V Ships USA 128 Claasen Shipyards

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Maritime news Simulator training in Bulgaria uIn line with the expansion of the port of Burgas, the City of Burgas and its association of environmental organisations have opened a new simulator centre for maritime training in the region. The maritime simulator centre was developed as part of a EU project to provide enhanced training of fishermen and post graduation of mariners in Bulgaria.

VSTEP was selected as maritime simulator supplier and has delivered and installed a DNV certified Class A NAUTIS Full Mission Bridge Simulator with 2400 projection view at the facility, as well as an instructor station and debriefing area for after action review.

Prior to the opening, the DNV certified simulator also passed approval by the Bulgarian Maritime Administration. The VSTEP full mission bridge simulator will provide training for ship handling, ECDIS and bridge team training in compliance with the latest IMO requirements and model courses.

To guarantee the quality of the professional training courses at the new Burgas training centre, a co-operation was started with VSTEP and the Naval Academy in Varna, who will provide professional maritime instructors to assist and evaluate students training on the simulator and will also train the City of Burgas employed instructors to operate the simulator autonomously.

Urgent action call uThe Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI), a pioneering coalition of companies from across the global shipping industry, released - ahead of discussions at COP21 - a statement calling for the shipping industry to play its part in contributing towards the UNFCCC global CO2 reduction target.

The Sustainable Shipping Initiative’s statement on CO2 emissions reads as follows:

The Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) calls on the shipping industry to encourage and support the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to act urgently in establishing the timely and progressive frameworks required that will deliver a carbon strategy which enables shipping to confidently and effectively play its part in achieving the UNFCCC global CO2 reduction targets.

According to the IMO 3rd GHG study and research commissioned by the SSI from University College London, the current IMO regulatory framework to manage CO2 emissions, while welcomed, will be insufficient to meet a 2-degree target. Furthermore each year of delay results in the need for increasingly harsh and more costly emissions reduction measures to be implemented in order to achieve the targets in the required timeframe.

Climate change is one of the biggest risks to the future of global trade and the shipping industry; the SSI believes that it is not commercially, environmentally or socially sustainable for the shipping industry to continue on a Business As Usual carbon emissions pathway. We need to recognise climate change as a business risk and act now to contribute fully to our obligation to meet a global objective.

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Upgraded water treatment system uHNLMS Mercuur (A900), the Royal Netherlands Navy submarine support and torpedo recovery vessel undergoing retrofit work at Damen Shiprepair Den Helder, is to be fitted out with a MEPC 227(64) compliant wastewater management system from ACO Marine.

The scope of supply is based around ACO Marine’s type-approved Maripur NF-50 advanced membrane bioreactor treatment plant and includes a Lipator NS2 grease separation system for the pre-treatment of galley water, a grey water transfer system, and aeration equipment for the ship’s wastewater and sludge tanks.

Martin Wattel, Damen Shipyards’ project manager responsible for the upgrade work, said: “With previous experience of the Maripur system aboard four Holland-class ocean patrol vessels and the new joint support ship HNLMS Karel Doorman, the Royal Netherlands Navy was keen to upgrade the Mercuur with the same technology in order to comply with the new water treatment rules.”

ACO Marine Managing Director Mark Beavis said: “The requirement was to completely replace the existing black-water only system with a solution capable of treating both the black and grey water generated by a crew of 45.

“The challenge was to fit the type-approved Maripur NF-50 into a space previously occupied by a smaller non-compliant system.

Access routes and space constraints were the main considerations but we have been able to design a system that not only fits into the available space, but also improves operational flexibility, reduces in-service operating costs and meets existing and future marine pollution rules.”

Recycled fuel success uEcoslops, the first company to develop technology to produce recycled marine fuels from marine oil residues (‘slops’), has sold its first volume of marine fuel, as well as importing a new shipment of slops to its refinery at the Port of Sinès in Portugal.

Following the commencement of industrial production, Ecoslops sold 1000 tonnes of Marine Diesel Oil (MDO), compliant with ISO 8217 standards, at market price, to a European bunker operator. After the initial import of a shipment of 3200 tonnes of slops from Northern Europe, the company has also imported a second shipment of 3000 tonnes, further ramping up its refinery operations.

Commenting on the development, Vincent Favier, CEO, Ecoslops, said: “Fundamentally, we have shown that we can produce substantial volumes of high quality fuel oil, as demanded by our customers. Based on this success, we will be stepping up our programme of developing new sites.”

Maritime news Safer slides uScottish ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne has become the first in the UK to fit the latest automatic escape slides from SurvitecZodiac.

Purchased on their behalf by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd, the Autolaunch slides offer greater passenger safety by needing no crew

World’s strongest SOLAS boat lifting hook uH Henriksen of Norway has received SOLAS certification for a new off-load single-point boat lifting hook capable of holding up to 22.5-tonnes. The quick release hook has been developed principally for use with heavy workboats while a smaller hook has received SOLAS certification for 8-tonnes, making it ideal for the deployment of emergency rescue boats and heavyduty rigid inflatable boats.

The new Henriksen hooks have been developed to include a pivot mechanism so that they can perform to their full load capacity even when the boat is at an angle to the lifting cable.

It has been recognised that in rough sea conditions lateral loads can impose significant strains upon a hook so the specially designed swivel featured in the new models enables them to accept a load from any direction.

Both hooks have been tested to confirm that they are capable of holding loads up to six times greater than their certified capacity.

input for their preparation and deployment and can be activated simply by pressing a button on the bridge or beside the slide itself. The slide and a 151-passenger capacity liferaft are then launched, inflated and bowsed securely without any crew involvement. This has the additional safety benefit of leaving crew members free to deal with other aspects of the emergency if needed and it can greatly increase the passenger evacuation speed of a ship.

The Bute is the first of two Caledonian MacBrayne ferries to be fitted with the system and will be followed by an identical installation aboard the Argyle, which is a sister ship to the 2612 gt, 72-metre Bute. A third vessel, the Coruisk will be fitted with a similar arrangement later.

Each ship will be fitted with a 2.2-metre slide and a venturi-assisted inflation system for a 151-person capacity open reversible liferaft, which is installed on each side of the vessel. A second liferaft of the same capacity will also be carried on each side and can be launched independently of the slide if required. The slides will also feature the latest design development from SurvitecZodiac by being housed in a flushfitting aluminium container that is integrated within the structure of the ship. In addition to the cosmetic benefits it affords the ship, the new housing provides the slide assembly with greater protection against extreme weather conditions and accidental damage.

Measure the wind uA wind lidar installed at Dogger Bank for the Forewind consortium has provided data which shows the technology has advanced to the stage where it could be used in future as an alternative to meteorological masts for wind data collection.

The Dogger Bank projects being developed by the Forewind consortium will have a capacity of 4.8 GW and, as part of their assessment process, two meteorological mast platforms were installed during 2013.

In November 2014, a ZephIR 300 wind lidar was installed on the east meteorological mast platform by sister company SeaRoc Group to provide continuous data above the existing mast height, while the mast underwent maintenance works. The lidar collected wind speed information for four months to April 2015 and then when the meteorological mast was reinstalled in May 2015 it continued wind speed measurement at the mast’s base.

Results now published confirm the lidar was available for 100 per cent of the time and correlations to the met mast were found to be excellent and at least as good as variations between individual anemoneter cups.

Ian Locker, Managing Director at ZephIR Lidar commented: “The results confirm the real opportunity for the pragmatic use of wind lidar offshore and its potential to replace fixed met mast structures for wind measurement while delivering significant cost-savings and health and safety advantages. The ZephIR 300 wind lidar allowed for there to be no gap in wind data during the mast maintenance period and has essentially extended the height of the mast significantly. It produced high availability and high accuracy of data, and was perfectly reliable, confirming that it could be used alone for wind data collection at a fraction of the cost.” www.shipping-and-marine.com - 5

Data intelligence

Data intelligence is

king

Peter Mantel discusses how many stakeholders are starting to embrace new technologies, which can deliver significant benefits to operational performance

The shipping industry holds tradition, custom and practice in high esteem, and quite rightly so. However, the old ways are not necessarily the most effective ways in the modern world. The feeling at the recent Norshipping event in Oslo was that the tide is indeed turning with many industry leaders recognising the value of accessing real-time data across a fleet of ships as part of a shore-based management strategy. However the real challenge in the short term will be to ensure stakeholders are fully equipped to truly understand the data.

The multiple pressures on the global maritime industry mean that ship owners and charterers can no longer afford to ignore the performance of their fleet. This in turn has led to an increase in demand for Fleet and Vessel Performance Management (FVPM). However, some ship owners, operators and charterers are still wary of the value such a monitoring system can deliver.

Perhaps this is understandable having been used to an environment where Chief Engineers produced miracles on a regular basis, armed only with the data from dials in their engine rooms.

Furthermore, the sophistication of the data and what it truly means can be daunting and as such, many stakeholders are feeling overwhelmed, to the point where it’s a headache they want to avoid.

Unsurprisingly, quick wins such as on-board optimisation and specific energy saving devices (ESDs) which are fitted to the vessel have quickly

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come to the fore. However, it’s important to note the limitations with such an approach. Whilst there are cost savings to be made, these are extremely hard to quantify in a verifiable way and these tools can often be seen as a burden to the crew. Shore-side performance management can provide ship owners and charterers with the tools to manage whole fleets of vessels and not just those that they own and operate.

This easy to use, automated process can focus on commercial factors such as the voyage cost. By monitoring in real-time the actual versus budgeted cost, steps can be taken to help minimise the overall voyage cost. Owners whose vessels are on time-charter can also monitor compliance against existing charter party agreements and use performance management data to construct speed-consumption curves for future charters to help maximise revenue.

Such an approach can also address technical

matters, i.e. how the asset is performing by looking more closely at: hull and propeller degradation; engine condition/SFOC and evaluation and verification of specific ESDs such as hull coatings or propeller boss cap fin.

Furthermore, the operations department can obtain valuable information on trim optimisation and on-time performance, i.e. what is the probabilistic percentage chance of making ETA.

Untapped data sources Although FVPM is on the increase, many stakeholders are still unaware of its full potential.

A key challenge for many stakeholders is high retention rates of crew personnel. On average, crew within cross-ocean trades can change every six months and every three to four months within coastal trades. This issue is leading to a situation whereby crews cannot build up a comprehensive understanding of the optimal way of operating a specific vessel.

By utilising shore-based performance management, owners and charterers can compare crew performance and start to identify specific trends in relation to the way in which they operate the vessel: why is one crew burning less fuel than the other when the environmental conditions are the same, for example. This

can then provide a much easier route to sharing best practice between different crews and even if the crew is relatively new to a vessel, they can be equipped with the knowledge to optimise the performance of the vessel. There are already a number of companies who are setting KPIs for their crews and incentivising them if they are able to burn less fuel or optimise ETAs – an approach which will no doubt become commonplace in the near future.

E-navigation is expected to have a significant impact on the future of marine navigation. The IMO which is driving this initiative describes the compelling need for e-navigation as “a clear and compelling need to equip the master of a vessel and those ashore responsible for the safety of shipping with modern, proven tools to make maritime navigation and communications more reliable and user friendly and thereby reducing errors”. However, it has been noted that without proper co-ordination, there is a risk that the future development of marine navigation systems will be hampered through a lack of standardisation

on-board and ashore. There is no doubt that e-navigation is the future – what the industry must do is expand the idea by thinking about it more holistically under the umbrella of ‘vessel performance’. That way, stakeholders can start monitoring vessel performance, safety and risk management all under one system, rather than several different systems which can lead to unnecessary complexity in understanding the data and a disparate approach.

Data from performance management systems such as BMT SMARTFLEET can also provide a pathway to effective predictive maintenance models. Such systems can already identify any inefficiencies – the next step is to identify actions and provide valuable advice to stakeholders on what should be done. Dry-docking for maintenance and renewal of antifouling can be timed to take place just before any rapid drop-off in vessel performance, highlighted by historical and probabilistic efficiency and operational data.

What does the future hold?

It is not unrealistic to envisage a time when all merchant vessels are equipped with a fully integrated bridge where performance parameters and emissions data is displayed alongside navigation systems and thruster controls.

Voyage planning can already be checked against efficiency and emissions requirements to identify the most appropriate routing, while performance management reports can be produced automatically. Such reports can cover everything from environmental impact, hull and propeller efficiency and bunkering factors through to crew data, scheduled maintenance results, economic modelling and SEEMP/legislation.

The combination of more rigorous legislation and harder economic conditions has led to a situation where ship-owners and operators need to have easy access to the emissions and performance data for their vessels.

The benefits of being able to use real-time data to dynamically manage the performance of a fleet of vessels, or choose to analyse and review data over a period of time, to be able to make informed operational and maintenance decisions are hard to ignore. n Peter Mantel is Managing Director of BMT SMART, a leading global provider of innovative fleet and vessel performance management solutions and advisory services for the international maritime industry. Its solutions support sophisticated, real-time monitoring of vessel management and handling, and in turn produce analytics and reporting on key performance indicators. www.bmtsmart.com

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Mooring technology

Under

control

Mooring integrity monitoring in today’s market. By Rizwan Sheikh The need for mooring integrity monitoring has of late come back under the spotlight, not least because the use of floating production systems in the offshore oil and gas industry has been predicted to grow at a significant rate between now and 2017 with a peak in the number of new builds expected to occur in 2016/2017. Recently, an updated industry guideline on mooring integrity has been issued by Oil & Gas UK with the support of operators, contractors and vendors. The guideline reinforces how mooring integrity management through effective monitoring and data management can provide information to help detect mooring line failure and assist with validation of mooring design strength and fatigue analyses.

Sources: 1 K. Ma, A. Duggal, P. Smedley, D. L’Hostis, H. Shu. “A Historical Review on Integrity Issues of Permanent Mooring Systems.” OTC 2013-24025, 2013.

2 S. Majhi, R. D’Souza. “Application of Lessons Learned from Field Experience to Design, Installation and Maintenance of FPS Moorings.” OTC 2013-24181, 2013.

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Station keeping through the life of a field is of critical importance for floating production facilities in all parts of the world. The mooring system performs this function, and although it has not always been the case, current design practice is to engineer mooring systems that can withstand extreme environments with single or even multiple line failure scenarios. Even so, the offshore industry has experienced numerous unexpected mooring line failures in recent years that, in a small number of cases, have resulted in mooring system failure. On average between 2001 and 2011, there were more than two mooring system failures per year. During this period, nine were multiple line failures1 and other

mooring incidents resulted in riser failures and hence extended field shut down2. Based solely on these statistics, there is a clear business case for effective mooring integrity monitoring.

One of the challenges that has emerged from these failings is the need to monitor mooring system integrity reliably for the life of the facility without the need for costly inspection or maintenance of subsea sensors. In general, most mooring line monitoring systems that have been deployed to monitor mooring line tension have themselves experienced sensors failures, and the industry is now assessing ways of monitoring mooring line break detection as opposed to measuring

Fig 1: Mooring integrity monitoring system topside

Fig 2: Mooring integrity monitoring system topside and line mooring tension in a hope that the sensors will be more robust. However, many of the challenges of installing and maintaining these types of monitoring systems still need to be addressed.

Typical requirements for mooring integrity monitoring of permanently moored floating systems encompass the need to measure mooring line tension and/or behaviour, and to transmit this data to the facilities topside for display and archiving.

Monitoring systems therefore need to be conceived to withstand high structural loads as well as harsh sea-states for the design life of the facility. This is achieved through robust design, proper installation and periodic maintenance and servicing once in service. Key questions to ask when selecting a system include: is the system for a new-build or a retrofit? Is position or inclination sufficient, or is a measurement of in-line tension required? Can the system be diver or ROV deployable or serviceable?

Will data be transmitted wirelessly or through a hardwired connection? Last but not least, where is the most practical location to place the sensors without compromising safety or the quality of the measurement?

To meet the growing demand for a cost effective and reliable means of monitoring mooring system integrity, BMT has developed a novel system to assimilate data from a range of topside-based sensors (which monitor factors like the environment, position, vessel motions, draft and available mooring line information) into a topside Response Learning System (RLS). This system uses machine learning and cognitive science to learn the response of a system as well as the inter-dependencies of the numerous data sources. As a result, it is possible to estimate the behaviour of a system (floating production facility) given a set of impulses (environmental loads from combined action of wind,

wave and current) provided the RLS has sufficient measured marine data for learning.

There are numerous applications for machine learning algorithms. In fact, BMT is using them in the field to improve predictions of tension beneath the buoyancy can on a freestanding hybrid riser tower. In the context of mooring monitoring, work conducted on a turret moored FPSO, where a mooring line monitoring system was installed by BMT, showed that an RLS can estimate mooring line tension to within 30kN using only position and draft as inputs.

Excursion monitoring can also be used as an indirect way to monitor the integrity of the mooring system. Simple watch circle monitoring systems do not integrate metocean and vessel motions data to verify that the vessel offset from its moored origin is as should be expected, given the environmental loading and mooring stiffness. Furthermore, should the offset from design origin shift slightly in benign conditions, a watch circle processor would not be able to indicate a change in the mooring system. By using an RLS, the expected position, heading and response can be compared back to the measured position for the given environment. If the difference exceeds a pre-determined threshold, an advisory can be issued on the mooring system integrity.

In conclusion, with mooring integrity now under a renewed emphasis within the oil & gas industry, there is a heightened need for a robust and cost effective mooring integrity monitoring solution for both new-build and existing installations.

The application of an RLS to monitor mooring system integrity builds upon BMT’s many years of experience in providing custom designed and custom built Integrated Marine and Mooring Line Monitoring Systems to the deepwater offshore oil and gas industry. With the rapid advances in computing power and data telemetry, the development of a topside based mooring integrity monitoring system like that described above is a natural progression and further unlocks the inherent value of data acquired by real-time monitoring systems. n Rizwan Sheikh is a senior data analyst at BMT Scientific Marine Services. BMT Scientific Marine Services Inc (BMT) provides innovative marine integrity monitoring systems for a wide range of floating offshore oil facilities including their subsea risers and mooring systems. BMT delivers custom engineered products from design through procurement, assembly, installation and aftermarket service for topside and subsea applications. In addition, BMT Scientific Marine Services deploys temporary monitoring systems for performance assessment, acceptance trials and forensic investigations. www.scimar.com / www.scimar.com/Brazil

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ECA update

The emissions

challenge Jan Christensen explains why knowledge is key in operating efficiently in ECA zones

It’s a fairly basic principle, but when having to make important decisions, understanding the options available to you is always the key. When it comes to fuel procurement, a mistake that can be made is in following the pack, rather than taking the time, gaining knowledge, talking to the right people, and understanding the full scale of choice available. The reality is that fuel costs may be low, but they still make up a significant proportion of operating costs. In a competitive market with low freight rates and tight margins, any opportunity to improve operational and cost efficiencies, as well as ensuring compliance, is critical and should be seized.

As a physical supplier and trader of bunker fuels we feel that we have an obligation to ensure that our customers are armed with every possible option, and that they are given the tools and knowledge to make informed decisions that are right for their business. When it comes to providing solutions for compliance within sulphur Emissions Control Areas (ECAs), this is especially important and requires short as well as long-term strategic thinking by both parties. From our perspective, this means being able to provide all grades of fuel in the most cost-effective, efficient way to meet existing 0.1 per cent ECA regulations and working with them to plan ahead for the next major regulation: the global sulphur cap in either 2020, or 2025.

With the news that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has brought forward its review of fuel availability to meet the 0.5 per cent global sulphur cap, it is hoped that by autumn 2016 or spring 2017 the industry will have the clarity it needs to determine the make up of the marine fuel supply chain beyond 2020. Despite this, whether the cap arrives in five years or ten years, change is inevitable and there are big decisions to be made by ship owners and operators, which will affect how the bunker industry responds to meet their needs.

As there are concerns over whether there will be enough distillates to meet the 0.5 per cent global ECA limit, fuel suppliers need to engage with their customers to help anticipate demand. We must have a clear picture of which compliance solution customers plan to adopt – be it distillates, LNG, scrubbers or an alternative fuel – so that we can plan and develop the best priced procurement strategies.

Until this is known, from a distillates perspective, the refiners will not provide the significant investment required to develop their facilities to create more product.

As it stands currently, at Bomin Group, we are seeing a real spectrum of demand. Due to the continued low fuel prices, many of our customers are happy to use distillates, and a smaller number

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have invested in scrubbers. There are also those that are looking at clean fuels such as liquefied natural gas (LNG). Based on the progress and successes that our joint venture company Bomin Linde LNG is making in building infrastructure for LNG in Northern Europe, we believe that it is realistic to assume that 10 per cent of owners of the whole Baltic Sea fleet will probably decide to shift to the use of LNG within the next five to seven years.

With the current distillate prices the same, or lower than heavy fuel oil (HFO) this time last year, many owners and operators are yet to feel the pressure from the 0.1 per cent ECAs, and there is a danger that this is leading to a lack of medium-to-long term thinking. The reality is that many are understandably enjoying the temporary increase in profitability; however, it is a focus that could leave them vulnerable if – and it is likely that it will happen at some point – crude prices rise.

Indeed the International Energy Agency (IEA) recently stated that ‘the era of cheap oil is over’. It expects - based on continued global energy policies – that crude oil will average $100 per barrel over the next two decades and more than $200 per barrel in 2030, in nominal terms.

Clearly, things change, and they might be wrong, but for ship owners and operators, it makes sense to understand the significant impact that high oil prices might have on their businesses in an ‘alldistillate’ world. And mitigate risks accordingly.

We believe that this is where fuel suppliers must step up. There is a real opportunity to prove their value and their worth by building better relationships with customers, understanding their businesses and tending to their fuel supply challenges with bespoke solutions that genuinely deliver from a cost and efficiency perspective in meeting the demands of individual fleets. For Bomin this means proactively investing in and growing our physical operations, which was demonstrated most recently with our expansion in Copenhagen, Oman, and Rostock. Enhancing our physical network, and managing

the end-to-end bunker supply process from order through to final delivery, brings us closer to our customers, and gives us superior scope to provide them with greater efficiencies, and ensure the quality and quantity of products. This investment in our offering enables us to drive as much value as possible into our customers’ businesses, and demonstrates the competitive advantage we offer them goes beyond just the price of our product.

While much of the industry is taking respite in the current low fuel prices after a number of challenging years, we know that – whether its 2020 or 2025 – we’re approaching a major industry milestone and it will be prudent to learn from the recent past. The key is to understand all elements of the transformation that is taking place within shipping, and its impact on the fuel supply chain, and to be able to provide customers with a choice of solution depending on their strategy to mitigate regulatory change.

What is critical throughout this changing landscape is that fuel suppliers remain committed to ensuring quality, reliability and efficiency within every aspect of the bunkering process, whether you’re supplying heavy fuel oil, distillates or LNG. In a sector that has not always had the best relationship with its ship owning counterpart, it is up to credible fuel suppliers to run their businesses founded on responsibility and integrity, and invest in the systems, processes and infrastructure that ensure excellence. This is Bomin’s focus, and combined with our industry knowledge and experience, we are very confident that we – along with our customers can seize the opportunities of a market in transition. n

While much of the industry is taking respite in the current low fuel prices after a number of challenging years, we know that – whether its 2020 or 2025 – we’re approaching a major industry milestone and it will be prudent to learn from the recent past

Jan Christensen is Regional Manager, Northwest Europe, Bomin Group. The Bomin Group has been active in the bunker business for more than 35 years via its subsidiaries and is one of the world’s leading independent suppliers and traders of bunker oil. Bomin is 100 percent owned by Mabanaft.

For more information, please visit www.bomin.com, www.mabanaft.com and www.marquard-bahls.com.

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ROV

An attractive

option From being little more than mobile cameras in their earlier guises, today’s electric ROVs are now able to perform an array of tasks so effectively that their success is prompting discussions on whether they are closing the gap on their larger, hydraulic cousins

Electric ROVs can carry more than ever before and by being smaller in physical size they continue to be nimbler, greener and considerably more cost-effective to operate. These benefits are backed by advancements in technology that have improved the range of tools available and specifications right across the board. Recent refinements include data multiplexers, fibre optics, DC propulsion, open frame design and smaller sensors through to high voltage power transmission, auto functions, increased diagnostics, increased reliability, low density buoyancy, smaller manipulators and discreet hydraulic power packs.

Sub-Atlantic is a leader in the electric ROV market, having manufactured cutting-edge electric observation class ROV systems and components which became the industry standard for hydraulic work class ROV systems.

The firm has built a solid track record with one of the most recent examples being a second contract with Italian oil and gas subsea services provider, AALEA, to deliver one of its class-leading Tomahawk observation ROV systems.

Ryan Lumsden, global product director at SubAtlantic, said: “Electric ROVs have fast moved on from the days when they were basically flying cameras. Now, they carry out a multitude of tasks

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due to major advancements particularly in the assortment of manipulators, tooling and sensors they can be fitted out with.

“As a result, they have become much more sophisticated in terms of their capabilities and in more complex and challenging environments with smaller ROVs performing tasks previously completed by larger systems.”

Since its inception in 1997, Sub-Atlantic has carved out a strong niche for itself as a company specialising in the design and manufacture of ROVs, tether management systems and subsea components. Sub-Atlantic’s position was further strengthened in 2007 when it was integrated into

what has now become Forum Energy Technologies and alongside the Group’s well-known Perry brand as part of the subsea division.

While Forum’s Sub-Atlantic brand has a relatively small footprint, it is this combined with its focused approach on developing best-in-class systems which has set the Aberdeen-headquartered company apart on a global scale as a leading manufacturer of electric ROVs and one which is by supported Houston and Singapore offices and a worldwide network of distributors and services centres.

The company’s impressive portfolio of electric ROVs span its Comanche, Mohican, Super Mohawk, Mohawk and Mojave vehicles which all benefit from Sub-Atlantic’s subCAN high speed communications data network system.

The Comanche is Forum’s flagship electric ROV. Considered a light work class, it was designed specifically to bridge the gap between observation and work class systems.

“One of the key considerations when designing the Comanche was ensuring it had substantial intervention capability,” said Lumsden. “This was achieved by working with Schilling Robotics to develop manipulators that were compact enough to fit an observation class ROV whilst retaining the capability of a work class manipulator.

“This led to a short version of the well-known Orion 7P being developed which gave the

Comanche a fully closed loop, position controlled, seven-function manipulator - ultimately resulting in manipulative capabilities previously unassociated with electric ROVs due to the accuracy and control combined with the strength and reliability.

“Another key consideration was hydraulic power.

Although the Comanche propulsion system was natively electrical - which is what differentiates electric from hydraulic ROVs - hydraulic power was needed for the manipulators and tooling.

Therefore, a compact hydraulic power unit (HPU) was developed with particular consideration given to what tools the Comanche could use to ensure the HPU was sized appropriately. This meant the Comanche could run tools such as dredge pumps, torque tools, pumping & injection systems, cutters, water jetters and other tools which until this time had been connected with hydraulic work class.”

While the Comanche or electric ROVs in general can’t do everything that its hydraulic counterparts can, Lumsden is quick to point out: “For ultra-heavy duty work, such as construction support tasks where the ROV aids the installation of huge subsea structures, a hydraulic work class is required.

However, the fact remains that the crossover with electric has increased and the gap has narrowed.

“The expanded operating envelope of electric ROVs allows them to carry out many of the tasks traditionally done by hydraulic systems. One of the major benefits of this is cost when you consider the capital purchase price is in the region of one quarter compared with that of a hydraulic system.

“The other benefit is size. For example, the Comanche ROV is considerably smaller and lighter

than a hydraulic system while the vehicle’s TMS is also smaller and lighter, as is the umbilical cable and the launch & recovery system.

“Overall, this results in a more compact system footprint which is important when vessel or rig space is limited. It also makes it more transportable which again is useful for mobile systems that are regularly transferred between vessels of opportunity. Furthermore, using electrics rather than hydraulics for an ROV’s primary power source is more environmentally friendly.”

Europe along with the Middle East and Far East are the main regions where the significant benefits of electric ROVs are recognised. Lumsden believes there’s less up-take in other regions such as the US and Gulf of Mexico partly due to Europe having more stringent IMR regulations but also simply because no one considers looking beyond the more commonly used hydraulic work-class.

“The preference for hydraulic in almost all jobs is a bit like cracking a nut with a sledgehammer.

An opportunity is being missed but I expect this to change as other regions to begin to view electric ROVs as an attractive option in helping to reduce costs whilst improving production efficiency.” n Forum Energy Technologies’ Sub-Atlantic brand specialises in the design and manufacture of Electric ROV systems and components for operation in remote and harsh environments.

Forum’s product suite includes ROVs, Trenchers, LARS, ROV tooling & components, simulation software, data acquisition software, subsea rentals and geosciences product management.

Its vehicle brands include two of the best-known names in the industry - Perry and Sub-Atlantic. www.f-e-t.com/subsea

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Exhaust gases

Mountain high, ocean

deep

Reducing atmospheric emissions from marine shipping Carrying as much as 90 per cent of world trade, the international shipping industry is crucial to the intercontinental trade activities that underpin the global economy. It has been estimated that if the growth of the past 150 years continues, the current eight billion tonnes of cargo being transported across the globe annually will soar to 23 billion tonnes per year in the next 50 years. However, with the increasing volumes of cargo being transported annually, rising levels of marine emissions such as sulfur oxides (SOx), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), particulate matter (PM) and carbon dioxide (CO 2) from the fuel used to power these vessels, are under close scrutiny by world environmental authorities.

While the global shipping industry is currently responsible for only three per cent of greenhouse gases, this contribution has prompted significant changes in the legislated control of emissions. A key concern is the heath of communities living in close proximity to shipping lanes.

One of the busiest maritime routes revolves around the area entering in, and departing out of, Hamburg in Northern Germany. Almost 80,000 ships call into European ports each year, adding significantly to air pollution due to high sulfur and the heavy bunker fuels burnt at sea and also at dockside. Hamburg is Europe’s largest container port after Rotterdam and citizens there are in

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support of urgent action to reduce the sulfur emissions limit.

Another prime example is that of the 30 km Bosphorus Strait in Turkey, one of the most highly trafficked shipping channels in the world. Only 3.6 km wide at its broadest section and less than one km at its narrowest, the Bosphorus flows directly through the city of Istanbul, which has a population of some 15 million people. On average, 140 international trade vessels, including oil tankers, pass through the Straits every day.

Owing to strong currents in this channel, ships must use their engines on high power which can lead to a significant issue regarding shipping

emissions and its environmental impact on the city.

Maritime traffic on the Bosphorous is increasing and exhaust emissions (NOx, CO2, VOCs and PMs) from international shipping, as well as vehicle and passenger transit vessels which cross the Straits daily and account for up to three hundred ferries a day - are posing a health and general environmental hazard to the city’s inhabitants. This potential human health issue has led to the Turkish government investigating the opening of a new open water channel to advance Mediterranean trade before the problem increases in severity.

And clearly, emissions control is another possible mitigation.

For environmental reasons Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and even wind propulsion and nuclear power are occasionally employed to propel commercial shipping, but the majority still use a reciprocating diesel engine as their prime mover, powered by fuel oil, also known as bunker oil.

Combustion of bunker oil in ships generates the same pollution components as those emitted from road transport vehicles and is similar to the emissions footprint from other fossil fuel burning industries such as electrical power plants.

However, most of the sulfur emissions from land based transport are eliminated by the use of low sulfur fuels, where the sulfur is removed at the refinery. And, there is also a growing trend for automotive sector NOx emissions to be reduced using selective catalytic reduction (SCR) with the addition of Urea as a source of Ammonia. In the power generation industry, SO2, NOx and PM pollutant emissions are reduced through the use of wet gas scrubbing for SO2 removal, reaction of SO2 with lime, reaction of NOx with ammonia in SCR and SNCR technologies and electrostatic precipitation for PM reduction. These techniques are highly effective in cleaning the flue gas from the power plants. By comparison, the control of these emissions from shipping has historically been less sophisticated, but the trend is going in a similar direction and is being driven by phased implementation of environmental protection legislation through MARPOL. Marine pollution is regulated internationally and one of the key international conventions for the prevention of pollution at sea is MARPOL 73/78, adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 1973, and later updated in 1978 after several severe tanker accidents. The convention includes regulations aimed at preventing and reducing pollution at sea from ships, including both accidental pollution and pollution from routine operations. Today, countries who have signed up to the MARPOL legislation represent 98 per cent of international shipping.

This convention has seen the designation of special so-called Emission Control Areas (ECAs) where stricter controls on the principal marine

emissions NOx, SO2 and PM have been put in place. These ECAs are generally designated in densely populated areas close to high levels of shipping and their regulations are also cascaded into regional and local legislation through regional authorities such as the European Union.

Following agreement at the IMO and incorporation into European law, the Baltic Sea became the first fully implemented ECA in August 2006, followed a year later by the designation of the North Sea and English Channel as the second ECA. In August 2012, new ECAs were designated for ships trading off the coasts of Canada, the USA and the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. A new area, the United States Caribbean Sea ECA, covering certain waters adjacent to the coasts of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, took effect from January 2014. Further ECAs seem likely to be proposed for Norway and Japan, and possibly for the Mediterranean and Black Seas and the seas around Mexico, Korea and, potentially also the heavily used Malacca Strait.

The issue of designating the Malacca Strait as an ECA is the subject of frequent debate, since the diversity and scale of shipping activities in this area is massive and it would be extremely challenging to monitor and enforce the emission regulations for each one. Effectively, this inclusion would mean regulating most of the world’s shipping operators.

Whilst this might be highly desirable from an environmental perspective, it would also be highly complex.

A phased reduction of SOx emissions in ECAs saw the allowable amount of fuel sulfur reduced to from 1.5 per cent to 1.0 per cent in July 2010 and this was further lowered to 0.1 per cent in January 2015.

Outside of ECAs, the current global limit of 3.5 per cent sulfur-in-fuel was reduced from 4.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent in January 2012, and is likely to be further reduced below 0.5 per cent in 2020 or 2025 depending on a review in 2018 to determine

the availability of fuel to enable implementation of this standard.

In terms of NOx, an inevitable by-product of combustion of fuel with air, January 2016 is expected to herald the stringent IMO Tier III emission limits for ships constructed after January 2016 operating within the North American and US Caribbean Sea ECAs. The Tier III standard represents a 75 per cent reduction in NOx emissions compared to current Tier II engines and is valid for marine diesel engines with an output of more than 130 kW power. Although it remains technology-neutral, the IMO regulation assumes that these standards will be met through the application of abatement technologies, such as selective catalytic reduction (SCR), that can either be used continuously whilst at sea, or can be activated only when entering the ECAs and thereby reducing commercial shipping & international trade operating costs.

A proposal was published in June 2013 (no.

525/2013) by the European Commission to regulate CO2 emissions emanating from the shipping industry. The proposal aimed to reduce GHG (Green House Gases) emissions by 2015 to levels 50 per cent lower than those in 1990 through the establishment of a European MRV (Monitor-ReportVerify) system. The MRV system can either be based on the calculation of fuel consumption or stack monitoring. In case of the latter, a monitoring plan is to be submitted to the authorised verifiers no later than August 2017.

Little can be done to reduce the CO2 produced by the combustion processes, but there are certainly proven and cost effective methods to reduce NOx, SOx (mainly sulfur dioxide) and PM present in the emission stream. Mitigation measures focus on process control and management and detection of post-combustion emissions, to both protect the health and safety of

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Exhaust gases

the people on board the ship, and also to reduce environmental impact. DeNOx technology can be

engines, and the associated emission reduction technologies, as well as the refineries implementing

of heavy marine engines is carried out during their development or production, to ensure compliance with emissions regulations. This sector requires accurate calibration of the test instrumentation that detects and monitors emissions volume and type. Under the brand name HiQ®, Linde offers a number of highly tailored calibration gas mixtures and pure specialty gas grades up to 99.99999 per cent purity to ensure consistently accurate analytical measurement. This portfolio of products is continually evolving to remain relevant to the needs of the industry, for example, as the MARPOL legislation evolves.

With LNG now being seriously evaluated as an alternative marine fuel, Linde has already developed the necessary technology to supply the maritime industry with this efficient and environmentally friendly replacement for bunker oil.

The use of LNG allows for a significant reduction in SOx, NOx and CO2 emissions, offering ship owners and operators a sustainable solution to meet existing and future emission standards.

Other significant advantages are a very low safety

retrofitted to the system to reduce NOx, while an interesting method of removing SOx emissions is the use of seawater for wet scrubbing. No additives are required in this method, as the inherent alkalinity of the seawater is used as the sorbent, and no by-products are produced beyond a slight increase in the natural concentration of sulphate in seawater.

In order to comply with the ever-tightening emission regulations, shipping operators might choose to adopt an integrated approach that considers the use of lower sulfur content fuel, the use of wet-gas scrubbing for SO2 removal, the use of SCR for NOx reduction or a conversion to LNG. However, this last option would require technology adjustments, similar to the engine retrofits currently being applied in the automotive industry.

Other emission management measures called for by the legislation include implementing a far higher level of measurement, analysis and reporting during voyages. Emissions such as oxygen and carbon monoxide levels in the combustion process can be monitored to ensure that the process is functioning optimally. It is also possible to measure different hydrocarbons such as methane, propane, butane, isobutane and pentane to determine if fuel is escaping from the engine. Hydrogen sulphide is also often measured and controlled at various different points in the reaction pathway. Urea and ammonia levels also require monitoring to make sure the DeNOx equipment is working well and that the ammonia

sulfur reduction technology to produce lower sulfur bunker fuels for shipping. This low sulfur fuel introduction also impacts the bunker fuel oil stocking locations in the supply chain that hold inventory for ships. As part of this ‘shore to ship’ emissions reduction scenario, Linde also works closely with refineries to supply gases such as oxygen and hydrogen and implement technology to reduce sulfur levels at these refineries. Oxygen enrichment technology has come to the fore as a viable and a cost-effective solution for significantly increasing a refinery’s sulfur handling capacity, as well as addressing problems associated with contaminants such as ammonia and hydrocarbons.

In addition, analysis of sulfur compounds at a refinery has become a critical requirement and there are several different techniques available to accomplish this. In addition to continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMS), there is also gas chromatography and other instrumentation used in a laboratory, as well as specific hand held gas detectors which are sensitive to sulfur or sulfur compounds. These technologies are able to measure from very low levels — parts per billion — up to percentage levels, depending on what kind of instrumentation or detector involved. High purity gases and calibration gas mixtures from the Linde HiQ specialty gases product ranges are essential for the daily operation and periodic calibration or functional testing of these sulfur measurement instruments.

Linde Gases supports the global shipping

risk and the possibility of combining LNG with other fuels in a dual-fuel engine. Linde is one of the few companies in the world able to deliver a complete solution for LNG. From liquefaction and the safe and reliable delivery, handling and storage of cryogenic liquids to bunkering, vaporising and dispensing, Linde provides an end-to-end solution for customers looking to reduce fuel costs and environmental impacts.

In a landmark agreement, the shipping company EMS AG and Bomin Linde LNG, a full-service provider of LNG as fuel for the marine market, recently signed the first contract for the delivery of LNG to Germany. The agreement is seeing the supply of LNG as fuel for the MS Ostfriesland passenger ferry operated by AG EMS, following a retrofit, making it the first user of LNG for German passenger ferry services. Regarded as an important step towards using LNG as a marine fuel in Germany, the agreement sends a clear signal that this low-emission propulsion system will play an increasingly important role in the marine sector in future years.

The technical process for storage of LNG is comparable to bunkering operations for traditional fuels, but since the LNG is cooled o down to approximately -163 C, appropriate personnel training is required. Deliveries to the port of Emden are currently covering initial supply requirements, while two LNG bunker terminals are being constructed in the ports of Hamburg and Bremerhaven. Once operational in 2015, these

or urea is not being overdosed, which would result in the undesirable, so called, ammonia ‘slip’.

The tightening legislation also impacts players beyond the shipping industry, notably the designers and manufacturers of marine diesel

industry and its associated supply industries with state-of-the art emissions management and mitigation technologies. A key area is the supply of high precision HiQ specialty gases calibration gas mixtures to the facilities where emissions testing

terminals will be able to supply LNG to ships operating in German ports along the North and Baltic Seas. n

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www.linde-gas.com/en/index.html

Tidal energy

The tide of

change As the UK’s leading renewable energy trade association, RenewableUK represents a leading voice in championing renewable energy as a key component in tackling climate change.

Andrew Dann speaks with Wave and Tidal Development Manager, Dee Nunn regarding the role played by tidal energy in addressing this complex issue Today more than ever climate change is a critical concern for governments all over the world. This was recently highlighted by the Foreign Secretary’s Special Representative for Climate Change, Professor Sir David King, in his keynote speech at RenewableUK’s annual conference in Liverpool on October 7th 2015.

During his address Sir David discussed the importance of renewable energy, describing it as ‘key to tackling the huge risk posed by climate change’ as well as ‘a big part of the British economy which will continue to grow.’ As a former Government Chief Scientific Advisor, the Professor was speaking ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference scheduled to take place in Paris at the end of October 2015. While speaking to senior figures within the renewable industry, he further described 2015 as a ‘seminal year for the planet’, observing that while the UK continues to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, during 2014 more renewable energy capacity was installed worldwide than fossil fuels. However he further mentioned that there remains a significant gap to be bridged within the global energy market to allow the future preservation of the environment.

RenewableUK was founded during 1978 as the British Wind Energy Association to focus solely on the concerns of the emerging wind industry. Later during 2004 it was decided that the association should

incorporate wave and tidal energy into its remit before the trade association took its present name later during 2010. “The intention was to focus on the synergies between the offshore wind, wave and tidal energy sectors and the challenges that those technologies were facing in the offshore environment. Furthermore a lot of companies that were active in wind energy had also expressed an interest in tidal and wave energy, so it made sense to address them,” Dee explains. “Today our role is really to maximise the deployment of these technologies by acting as a central point of information. We provided a united voice for the renewable sector by bringing together the views of our membership and providing a clear message.

RenewableUK carries out networking and talks to the government and media. This can involve research and the organisation of events including the Wave and Tidal Conference, which is February 2016 and during 2016 we will also be hosting the International Conference of Ocean Energy.”

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Tidal energy

In line with its mission to champion the generation, development and use of renewable power, RenewableUK is committed to empowering the future growth of the wind, tidal and wave power generation industries. For example, it continues to be a key supporter of projects such as the groundbreaking Seagen tidal stream generator that has been in operation in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland since 2008, generating over 9GWh as of March 2014. Furthermore the world’s first tidal stream array (a series of identical devices in the water, rather than just one of them) is currently under construction within the UK. The MeyGen Inner Sound project is located in Pentland Firth, Scotland and there are several other wave and tidal stream array projects currently under development in the UK. The sector has ambitions to develop ten arrays reaching financial close by 2020 across Europe, with the UK well placed to capture the lion’s share of development in its waters.

MeyGen Limited intends to deploy up to 398MW of offshore tidal stream turbines to supply clean and renewable electricity to Britain’s National Grid by the early 2020s. The initial stage of the project will deploy a demonstration array of up four turbines, generating 1.5MW as a precursor to subsequent development of the remaining lease area. This will allow MeyGen to develop proof of concept and later begin to seek investment for the

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project’s first phase, which will consist of some 86 turbines that will generate 86MW. During the initial array development the project will employ a ‘deploy and monitor strategy’ over its first two years to provide information regarding interactions between the array and the environment to increase the understanding for subsequent phases. “The initial 6MW generated by MeyGen will be comprised of four 1.5MW turbines. Three of those are Andritz Hydro Hammerfest (AHH) HS1000 turbines, while the other is an Atlantis Resources Limited (ARL) AR1500 turbine,” Dee elaborates. “This is a demonstration of two different technology types in one project and helps us to develop understanding of the technology and build confidence in the market. We would certainly like to see more arrays to help develop confidence in the development of the next stage of MeyGen.” RenewableUK is also a leading representative and ambassador for tidal lagoon technology. On 9th June 2015 the Energy Secretary, Amber Rudd approved a planning application for Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon. Negotiations over financial support for the scheme through a ‘Contract for Difference’ are currently on going, with support being sought for the initial 35 years of the project. Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon has a projected operational life of 120 years and it has been suggested that it could usher in a new tidal lagoon industry within the UK. This potential landmark could be reached as soon

as mid-2016 with the completion of what would be the world’s first tidal lagoon.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) estimates that wave and tidal stream energy combined has the potential to deliver around 20 per cent of the UK’s current electricity needs, equating to an installed capacity of around 30-50GW. RenewableUK is keenly aware of the potential benefits of both wave and tidal energy in reducing carbon emissions and safeguarding the environment, while ensuring that the UK’s energy demands are still met. “With regards to tidal energy specifically, studies carried out by the Carbon Trust have shown that tidal energy has the potential supply around six per cent of the UK’s total energy supply, which is quite a significant proportion. This figure relates to the use of tidal stream energy, however recently there has also been strong development in the use of tidal lagoons,” she explains. “For example a study has been undertaken on tidal lagoons that estimates that eight per cent of the UK’s energy could also be generated through the implementation of tidal lagoon technology. One of the advantages of these lagoons is the high level of predictability of tidal power, which can be predicted for years in advance. This is a level of predictability that can be planned and accounted for much further ahead than other forms of renewable energy.”

As a catalyst for policy change to support the maximum deployment of wind, wave and tidal energy in the shortest possible time, RenewableUK is keen to demonstrate the strengths and benefits of these technologies to the UK as a whole. As wind power continues to grow in popularity and increase its presence and connectivity to the National Grid, it is hoped that as faith grows in both wave and tidal power as proven technologies, these combined disciplines will provide a significant proportion of the UK’s power using shared infrastructure.

One of challenges in deploying wave and tidal energy at present is connectivity to existing energy infrastructure, which is an issue that RenewableUK is aware of and confident that the renewable industry can overcome. “It can very tricky to build a cable to offshore locations, because operators require justification to the taxpayer or bill payer to ensure that are not building what is known as a ‘stranded asset’ that is not connected to anything.

This can be a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation in that operators want to build infrastructure but there is no asset in place, while projects are unable to go ahead because assets do not line up with grid connection,” she concludes. “However by continuing to develop and prove wave and tidal power it will be possible to encourage further investment in connection infrastructure to these technologies.” n

For further information please visit: renewableuk.com

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Cloud

Capitalise on the

cloud Dharmendra Singh and Ashok Bafana take a look at cloud computing in the shipping industry

As an instrument of global trade, the fortunes of the shipping industry naturally mirror the ups and down of the global economy. With the establishment of the World Trade Organization in the early 1990s, a truly global marketplace became a reality.

As a result, the shipping industry flourished. An increase in demand for shipping across continents and the subsequent increase in fuel costs led many big shipping companies to order and operate bigger ships with bigger capacities, which were not only more fuel efficient but also provided greater economies of scale. For example, in the early to mid-2000s container ships with a capacity of 15,000+ TEUs (Twenty Feet Equivalent) were launched.

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However, the economic downturn of 200809 and subsequent drop in demand led to an oversupply of carrying capacity. On top of that, the average capacity of ships built in last three years has been in the range of 19,000 TEUs, thus exacerbating this oversupply of capacity.

While 2014 witnessed somewhat of an improvement in the industry; shipping companies are still trying to control their capital expenditure.

Although fuel prices have decreased lately, there is still volatility in the market and there is pressure on the shipping lines to improve their bottom line by controlling capital expenditure and optimising operational expenses.

pressure to reduce its capital expenditure, cloud computing is a natural fit for the industry. Despite this, the shipping industry has been a little slow in cloud adoption.

The basic diagram on the right depicts how cloud computing looks in practice when applied in the shipping industry. Data and information flow seamlessly between shipping offices, fleets and suppliers (throughout the shipping and logistics chain - from intermodal suppliers to stevedoring suppliers at port). It also provides ubiquitous access to an organisation’s systems through multiple channels including the web, desktop computers, laptops and mobile devices.

Cloud in shipping

Significant benefits

One of the biggest changes in the IT industry in recent years has been the widespread adoption of cloud computing. It has lowered costs, allowed huge computing scale and is enabling other innovation such as big data and the Internet of Things.

Given that the shipping industry is under

There are a number of significant benefits for companies implementing this kind of model in the shipping industry. For instance, the complex world of maritime, commerce and shipping is characterised by multiple teams and vendors spread across global locations. Cloud computing can provide a much needed single and shared

view of shipping activities across the globe.

A common shared resource pool on cloud also enables greater real time collaboration between different stakeholders, thus reducing the complexity and execution time of shipping processes.

The elastic nature of the cloud computing also allows for the ramping up and ramping down of computing power as needed, therefore equipping shipping companies with better control of ondemand resources.

Real-time data collection and analysis, supported by the cloud, also has wide applicability in shipping.

For example, it can enable real time analyses of fuel consumption, slot capacity management, re-routing of cargo and ships to overcome the constraints such as network congestion and at transhipment ports.

Perhaps the most important benefit for shipping companies is the fact that they no longer need to invest in buying non-core assets – in this case onsite servers and associated hardware - and instead can leverage cloud computing, in a payper-use model. This frees up much needed capital which can be used instead for core shipping assets such as hiring staff, leasing ships or buying fuel or go towards much needed working capital.

Looking to the future and particularly to the coming revolution of the Internet of Things, there

are many examples of how cloud could benefit the shipping industry. For example, it could enable remote monitoring of assets, such as ships and containers, and more importantly of shipment and cargoes. Refrigerated containers and temperature controlled cargoes of perishable commodities and chemicals can be remotely monitored through on-board sensors providing for immediate and timely response to fluctuations and failures. This reduces the operational cost and hassle of manual inspections.

So, cloud computing has wide applicability in the shipping industry, and proper implementation of this revolutionary technology can enable operational transparency, effective execution of processes, lower overall costs, integrated technical management of the fleet and management of the supply of ships and cargoes.

What should organisations do now?

To capitalise on cloud technology, companies should adapt their people, infrastructure, and processes. The key to a successful use of cloud services lies in the choice of the right cloud and the right deployment for the organisation. For a shipping organisation to identify what it requires from the ‘cloud’, the organisation should conduct an evaluation as to which processes, systems

and data can be moved to cloud and understand the benefits that would be gained from doing so, and prepare a subsequent roadmap for cloud adoption. n (Ed's note: For a more indepth look at Cloud-based ERP visit page 24)

Ashok Bafana

Dharmendra Singh

Dharmendra Singh is Global Head of Solution Definition for Travel, Transportation & Hospitality vertical, Wipro Limited; and Ashok Bafana is Managing Consultant, Domain Consulting Group, Travel, Transportation & Hospitality vertical, Wipro Limited. Wipro Ltd is a global information technology, consulting and outsourcing company with 160,000+ workforce serving clients in 175+ cities across six continents. The company posted revenues of $7.6 billion for the financial year ended Mar 31, 2015. www.wipro.com

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Sensors

Sensing the way

forward Patrice Flot examines the development of modern sensor technology for high horsepower engines and gensets

Accurate and reliable sensor systems are critically important for verifying the performance of industrial engines and gensets. Effective engine monitoring ensures safe and efficient running, safeguarding people and the environment, whilst minimising operational and maintenance costs.

OEM’s building engines for a wide variety of industrial and commercial applications are ramping up electronic technologies in order to stay competitive. Electronic component reliability is become increasingly well proven, allowing for better configuration and higher performance of advanced engines.

Better sensor reliability reduces the risk of instrumentation failure, but the expanded use of advanced sensors is increasing the costs of measurement and monitoring systems compared to other engine components.

Temperature sensors are usually the most costly and numerous sensor type, often found at several locations on the same engine circuit, measuring a range of parameters including oils, fuels, water, gases and exhaust.

Temperature monitoring at critical engine locations provides important information on running behaviour, safety margins and the need for maintenance on critical components like cylinder liners, exhaust valve seats and bearings. Even mobile parts of the gear train can be monitored for temperature thanks to wireless technology.

Excessive temperature values and gradients could be an early indicator of imminent component failure.

The three established sensor technologies of thermocouples, resistance temperature detectors (RTD) and thermistors are often combined on the same engine, each with their own advantages and drawbacks.

Thermocouples have a high temperature capability ideal for measuring exhaust gases, cylinder head outlet, and turbocharger

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temperatures. They can also be used on fluids and engine components such as bearings, liners or exhaust valve seats when short response time is of interest and unobtrusive design is required.

Thermocouples give the shortest response times due to a small thermal inertia. They also offer the smallest size intrusion and are very robust against vibrations and thermal shocks. The drawback however is with accuracy as the relationship between temperature and voltage is not linear and depends on material quality and purity.

This can be kept under control thanks to standards like CEI 60584-1.

Another disadvantage is related to installation cost.

Thermocouples are required to compensate for the ‘cold junction’ by using a compensation cable, made of cheaper materials than the thermocouples themselves, so that no parasitic Peltier effect occurs at any cold junction connections along the wires. Compensation is sometimes managed by using additional temperature measurement in the junction box. Other drawbacks are found in the electronics as the lower voltage needs to be amplified to a few volts to allow reading on standard human-machine interfaces (HMI).

RTD’s mostly employ platinum elements and are used either at PT100 or PT1000, but seldom as PT200. In this designation, the number following letters ‘PT’ indicates the ohms value at 0°C. These are electronic resistances that show resistance value depending on their temperature according to a linear curve; higher temperature goes with higher resistance.

RTD’s are low cost and accurate, typically adhering to CEI-6075 standard. Also, extension cables for connection to the HMI use low

cost copper lines. PT100 continues to be popular for fluid temperature measurement, but needs to be connected by three or four wires to get the required accuracy. However, PT1000 sensors are becoming increasingly prominent as connection line resistance is comparatively negligible and does not affect accuracy.

Sturdy sensor housing and installation for RTD’s are highly important as the platinum element can be sensitive to vibrations. RTD sensors are mainly used for fluids, compressed air and bearings as high temperature measurement in the region of 600°C is limited and response times can slow due to thermal inertia.

Whilst their lead-wire resistance does not affect sensor accuracy, thermistors are sensitive to temperature, typically having much higher nominal resistance values than RTDs. These low cost ‘ready for use’ electronics are often used in automotive applications. However, not all automotive sensors can be used on industrial engines, which use much larger pipes and tubing than automotive engines.

For example, industrial engines with 4000 hours of operation represents only around nine months of running. For cars however, 4000 hours of running will bring them close to the end of their life cycle. With time between major overhauls for industrial engines varying from 30,000 to 50,000 hours, it is a challenge for fragile sensors to last this long with heavy day-to-day use.

Instrumentation manufacturers are beginning to work with engine OEM’s to develop solutions to meet the reliability and lifetime challenges for industrial engine sensors, whilst trying to minimise engine delivery cost. Attempts have been to develop cheaper RTDs and thermistors that have higher temperature tolerances, rather than relying on expensive thermocouples.

In the early 2000’s, some engine OEM’s decided to replace Type K (TK) thermocouples in large engines with thermistors and PT1000 sensors, developed from existing automotive or industrial sensors.

Despite intensive qualification tests, this conversion resulted in too many operational failures, leading to expensive recalls.

Two to three years were necessary to overcome these R&D issues, so engine OEM’s returned to using adapted TK sensors with signal convertors, compatible with existing RTD electronics. At CMR, we postponed the launch of our new PT1000 sensors for a few years until our development and testing programme produced the safe solutions with reasonable lifetimes required by our customers.

The evolution of engine technology makes the importance of reliability and long lifetime for exhaust gas temperature sensors increasingly critical. Before turn of the millennium, sensors for exhaust gas, injectors, fuel pump status and other engine health indications were optional or unnecessary for smaller engines. Even on larger engines, exhaust gas sensor failure would not stop the engine itself, but just provide a warning.

As reliable sensors are now mandatory for today’s common

rail and electronic gas engines, such sensor failures, even for a few milliseconds, are unacceptable. Any failure on exhaust gas temperature sensors will now lead to the immediate shut down of the engine.

Exhaust gas temperature sensors are now mandatory for smaller engines with electronic injection, offering considerable business opportunities to a few instrumentation makers that are able to produce sensors with excellent reliability. This situation will not last forever. New alternatives have been developed since 2010 to overcome the weaknesses of low cost PT1000 sensors by incorporating sought after features such as fast response time, long lifetime, vibration resistance, high temperature reliability, small diameter and low wiring and integration costs.

These solutions use miniaturised electronic convertors attached to each sensor, transforming analogue signals to digital ‘CAN’ protocol, conforming to ISO 11898 and SAE J1939 standards. Also, a simpler measurement harness, reduced to four wires instead of dozens, can be directly connected to the HMI using only one standardised port dedicated to digital input, relegating the need for an HMI acquisition box.

CMR performed a cost estimate simulation for engines traditionally fitted with expensive TK thermocouples on exhaust gas cylinder heads and turbochargers. These and all other sensors were changed to CMR’s J1939 Connect CAN sensor, which uses J-SENSETM technology. Our findings showed that while wires and mechanical parts are cheaper, when electronics cost is similar, total cost can be significantly lower with digital sensor system.

Builders of advanced digital protocol engines with electronically injected fuels can embrace this digital technology expansion and will benefit from cost advantages and the reliability gained through rigorous testing and qualification programs.

Even though multiple digital sensors located on same CAN line need a specific address for each individual sensor, the sensor still retains the same address; even after refurbishment/installation as the same type of sensor is consistently installed between cylinder heads.

This does not seem to be a significant obstacle, since most engine end users are industrial organisations that have extensive experience in dealing with automation systems and device management. They can be confident that sensor manufacturers will provide easy maintenance and management tools for engine manufacturers and end-users, similar to what we see at home in domestic automation systems.

Engine builders are recognising the flexibility advantage of digital technology that allows fast implementation of additional sensors, without any physical change in input/output ports of the Engine Control Unit (ECU), allowing additional reserves of sensors imbedded in the ECU. The complexity of harness design is also reduced as any additional sensors simply require an additional harness connector, without an increase in harness size or additional wiring. n Patrice Flot is chief technical officer at CMR Group. CMR is a worldwide leader in the development of sensors and instrumentation for demanding operating environments, specialising in solutions that are among the most reliable and advanced for the global engine market.

The company offers specialised thermocouple/ temperature sensors and pressure sensors to meet precise requirements and can draw on 50 years expertise in sensor development and manufacturing to deliver custom solutions. www.cmr-group.com

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ERP

A cloudy shipping

forecast

Phil Lewis looks at the role of Cloud ERP in the shipping and marine industry, and highlights the drivers behind global maritime services provider, Boskalis’ transition to a cloud-based ERP model The shipping and marine sector represents some of the world’s most competitive and capital-intensive industries, and organisations are having to work increasingly harder and smarter in order to increase their market share.

Technology has a major role to play in helping deliver the enhanced levels of productivity and agility necessary to carve out competitive advantage. Yet while organisations recognise that they need to invest in technology in order to pursue growth strategies, traditional on-premise software deployments can be prohibitively expensive.

Cloud computing, whereby software is held centrally but delivered in any location where there is access to the internet, has been heralded as a solution to this challenge as it comes with lower up-front costs, and therefore doesn’t place excessive demands on Capital Expenditure (CapEx) budgets. Cloud based ERP in particular can bring enormous benefits through facilitating visibility, consistency and mobile access across geographically dispersed offices.

This enhanced global visibility, combined with straightforward, hassle-free upgrades and ongoing

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maintenance across large volumes of global users, as well as a single set of central, standardised processes for all offices, are additional benefits attached to cloud-based ERP. In recognition of these benefits, one company in the shipping industry recently made the decision to convert to the cloud. Headquartered in Papendrecht, the Netherlands, and with a fleet of more than 1000, 8500 employees in 75 countries across six continents, Boskalis is a leading global services provider operating in the dredging, maritime infrastructure and maritime services sectors. The company provides creative and innovative all-round solutions to infrastructural challenges in the maritime, coastal and delta regions of the world with services including the construction and maintenance of ports and waterways, land reclamation, coastal defence and riverbank protection. In addition, Boskalis offers a wide variety of marine services and contracting

for the offshore energy sector including subsea, heavy transport, lifting and installation.

Boskalis achieved €3.1 billion in revenue in 2014 and has clients including governments, port operators, international project developers, and companies in the oil, insurance, mining and shipping industries.

Having transitioned over the last few years from being a dredging company to an integrated service provider, Boskalis recently decided to move its ERP to the cloud and selected Infor CloudSuite™, a fully integrated, cloud-based solution suite delivering leading-edge core ERP, integration, social, and analytic capabilities to support this shift in its business model. Through using Infor CloudSuite, Boskalis is now able to focus on implementing a fit for purpose backbone for all of the core activities in its growth plan.

The ERP solution provides Boskalis with enhanced flexibility and the opportunity to reduce costs while benefitting from higher availability through leveraging the global infrastructure of Amazon Web Services (AWS), Infor’s cloud partner, for its worldwide operations.

Boskalis will begin implementing Infor CloudSuite in the Netherlands and expects its first users to be

operational in 2016. When most of the Netherlands is operational, the deployment will spread to Boskalis’ locations globally over the course of the next few years.

“The technology we have to deal with is becoming more complex,” said Rien Krijger, ICT director at Boskalis. “The decision to build knowledge in our own team or to extract it from Infor, which offers all specialisations together as a service, was simple. We are moving away from the principle to do everything by ourselves, in-house, so our team can focus more on maximising the business value for its own organisation.”

“Our business operates globally on a projectbased structure, and we do not stay in one location for a long time, for example the expansion of the Suez Canal which is executed with our partners Van Oord, NMDC and Jan de Nul. Our new Cloudbased ERP application meets all our requirements, such as interoperability with third-party systems, easy management and connections to on-premise applications. Therefore, the connection with other systems, such as our mobile platform, can be realised quickly and easily. Yet it also provides the desired performance, and we can rely on 24x7 support – something we could never have realised

with our own team at acceptable costs.”

Through its adoption of a cloud-based ERP application, Boskalis will have the necessary agility to support future acquisitions without requiring extensive investment in additional resources.

As well as deep industry-specific functionality hosted in a secure environment, lower total cost of ownership, the marine services provider will be equipped with scalability to grow as the business grows.

Cloud ERP in the shipping and marine industry is very much here to stay and the competitive advantage of early adopters will soon pass as cloud becomes the new normal for the industry. n Phil Lewis is senior director, solution consulting, Infor. Infor builds beautiful business applications with last mile functionality and scientific insights for select industries delivered as a cloud service.

With 13,000 employees and customers in more than 200 countries and territories, Infor builds software that automates critical processes for industries including healthcare, manufacturing, fashion, wholesale distribution, hospitality, retail, and public sector. Infor deploys its applications primarily on the Amazon Web Services cloud and open source platforms. www.infor.com

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Profile: U-Boat Worx

In-depth

operations

G

uided by principles of high performance, maximum safety and cost efficiency, U-Boat Worx is a small Dutch firm that engineers personal submersible vehicles for the private market.

Established in 2005 with the aim of creating technologically advanced machines, the company has spent the last ten years developing four product lines: the C-Explorers, the Super Yacht Sub 3, the C-Researcher 3 and the HP Sport Sub 2.

Blanson

Blanson Limited is the world-leading manufacturer of pressure rated acrylic windows and has worked closely with U-Boat Worx for a number of years.

The technical knowledge and expertise gained at Blanson over the past 40 years in the industry has been invaluable in cementing this relationship.

Pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved is something that Blanson continues to do and this is evident in the current range of vessels offered by U-boat Worx.

In order to satisfy the growth forecast of the submersible industry, Blanson continues to invest heavily in its people, equipment and processes.

The result – unrivalled quality, on time delivery and satisfied customers.

Since it was previously featured in Shipping & Marine magazine in June 2013, U-Boat Worx has been focused on using its technologically innovative engineering skills to create new innovations, as Erik Hasselman Commercial Director or U-Boat Worx BV, begins: “Over the last two years we have delivered many new submarines to our customers.

When we last spoke in 2013 we were focused on finalising the C-Explorer 5 Submersible and now have a whole fleet of them in operation with various clients, from cruise ship operators to research institutes. We have also delivered a C-Explorer 3 Submersible to a charter yacht that is going to the Arctic, among other extreme locations.

The last two years have really been about growth for us as we build the units and support them in the field.”

One example of the company’s progression is the launch of the new Super Yacht Sub 3 at the Monaco Yacht Show 2015. The first upgradable submersible in the world, the battery-powered Super Yacht Sub 3 can operate submerged for up to eight hours and offers clients the

opportunity to start with a depth capability of 100 metres before upgrading to 200 metres, or even 300 metres over time. More experienced or daring clients can also choose to have their submarine delivered directly at the full 300 metre diving depth. Another world first claimed by the Super Yacht Sub 3 is its wireless remote control feature, which can be used to drive the submersible at the surface.

Not only the first upgradable submersible, the Super Yacht Sub 3 is also the most compact three-person submersible ever built. Designed to fit your yacht, the ultra-small size and ultra-low weight submersible has been designed to add a new dimension to seafaring adventures through a flexible lifting arrangement. Equipped with U-Boat Worx’s proven technology, the Super Yacht Sub 3 also has a full range of safety features, luxurious leather seating and a fully air-conditioned environment at one atmosphere of pressure. There is also the option of personalising the interior, while the pressure hull allows a seating arrangement that optimises the view www.shipping-and-marine.com - 27

Profile: U-Boat Worx for both the pilot and two passengers.

“There was previously a limitation in being able to fit submarines onboard yachts so we were limited to large explorer yachts before we began working on a design a few years back. We wanted to incorporate the safety, comfort, viewing and general operating capabilities that are expected by a super yacht customer, but in a very small package. With the Super Yacht Sub 3 we have succeeded in doing this; this submarine has very nice features and, because owners can upgrade the submarine to even deeper depths, it is a very attractive way of getting our submarines onboard these yachts,” says Erik.

Traditionally U-Boat Worx’s customers tend to be yacht owners who buy submersibles for leisure purposes, however, over recent years the company has noticed a shift into the research market as research institutes and non-profit foundations have increased interest in these innovations. In line with this market trend, the company recently announced the launch of the C-Researcher 3, a ground-breaking deep diving submarine design, as Erik highlights: “We have had a deep diving submarine design in mind for a long time. Over the last two to three years we have been working on a detailed design specification and the requirements with a wide range of researchers, users and professionals who would be the ones using such a design.

“We have tried to incorporate these ideas into the C-Researcher 3 while

Tecnadyne

Tecnadyne has been a leader in the worldwide subsea robotics industry for over 30 years, manufacturing underwater thrusters, propulsion systems, rotary and linear actuators, hydraulic power units (HPU’s), intelligent hydraulic valve packs, controllers, position sensors, and pressure compensators for the toughest of subsea environments.

Over the past few years Tecnadyne has developed a strong working relationship with U-boat Worx, supplying specialised thrusters, controllers and providing solutions to better meet U-boat Worx’s requirements and demand for excellence.

Tecnadyne’s expertise in subsea propulsion has made its products recognised industry wide for their proven performance, reliability and durability.

The company supplies products to the leading manufacturers of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), manned submersibles and other subsea platforms.

Tecnadyne is proud of the strong partnership it continues to have with U-Boat Worx, the most advanced submersibles on the market.

also using our proven reliability and experience in creating submersibles to develop this unique deep diving submarine. It is like a deep diving laboratory that can reach 1700 metres; this is something that has never been done before and required close co-operation with a British company that is made up of experts in the professional field of acrylics. We are building the deepest and largest acrylic sphere submarine; it has really raised the bar in the whole marine submersible industry. By pushing boundaries we will define U-Boat Worx for the coming years.”

Aside from its incredible depth rating of 1700 metres, the key features of the DNV-GL classified C-Researcher 3 include three seats, one for a pilot and two for scientists; it also boasts payload capacity for deep scientific missions thanks to a unique toolset that makes the execution of a wide range of research tasks possible.

Additionally, the C-Researcher 3 is

available in two versions; one with surface ballast tanks for surface operations and the other without diving tanks for dedicated man-rated crane operations only. The submersible also features a single point lift as standard with man-rated certification, which enables launch and recovery in any condition. Meanwhile, when sea conditions are suitable for surface operations, the submersible offers a highly stable and efficient surface design. Viewed as the solution to operations that require the most mobile and lightweight submersible, the C-Researcher 3 can be easily stored in a standard 20 feet shipping container alongside all support equipment, thus making deployment swift and simple.

“The C-Researcher 3 has generated a lot of attention in the market and we have also signed the first unit, which is in production right now. It will take approximately two years to build the first C-Researcher 3, so www.shipping-and-marine.com - 29

Profile: U-Boat Worx

Bender Benelux

The Bender insulation monitoring device IR425D4MC1-1 is used by U-boat Worx to monitor the insulation resistance of the low voltage system of the submarines.

The IR425 is located inside the waterproof battery compartment. The analogue output of this unit is read by the submarine safety systems. In case of a low insulation resistance (pre-alarm), an alarm signal will be shown on a monitor. At an even lower insulation resistance (main alarm), when the safety system of the submarine is triggered, the submarine will automatically go to the surface.

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a challenge for us at the moment is being able to demonstrate just what these submarines can do. However, this is not just for the C-Researcher 3, but for all of our submarines. Our capabilities have reached a certain level of acceptance within our target markets, but we are keen to show how fun, practical, reliable and safe our submarines really are,” explains Erik.

A key way for U-Boat Worx to demonstrate the capabilities of its submersibles is through expeditions, such as the joint expedition it undertook with a team of scientists and experts under the direction of Professor Sebastiano Tusa, Superintendent of the Seas for Sicily, to investigate Roman Shipwrecks, in July 2015. With the use of the C-Explorer 3, the wrecks were investigated thoroughly, with more than 500 photographs of each wreck site taken to compile two-dimensional and threedimensional photomosaics.

With this expedition a success for all involved, U-Boat Worx will

continue to get involved with similar activities in the future. The company will also be preparing for its pilot training programmes in summer 2016 following fully booked courses in 2015 that resulted in six trained pilots. Looking to the future, Erik concludes: “Besides getting involved in demonstration dives, we will be focused on the delivery of the first super yacht subs, which of course includes sea trials and the training of our customer to make sure they can operate the subs with confidence. On top of this, we will continue to focus on the design, construction process and research aspect of our job, which is an integral part of our ongoing success.”

U-Boat Worx BV www.uboatworx.com

• Provide global ocean transportation • 23 of 100 strong fleet will have scrubbers installed in 2015 • Includes the companies Spliethoff, Transfennica, Sevenstar, Wijnne Barends and BigLift

Profile: The Kooiman Group

Diverse expertise

C

omprised of three Dutch shipyards and a further five qualified subsidiaries that are active in the marine sector, the family owned The Kooiman Group is involved in a diverse range of services such as ship design, shipbuilding & repairs, conversions, major overhauls and ship operations. With extensive building capacity, the medium sized business focuses on developing customer requirements and turning them into a competitively priced design at its three different new-building and repair shipyards in the Netherlands. The Kooiman Group’s main facilities are Scheepswerf Gebr. Kooiman, which is situated in Zwijndrecht and was founded 130 years ago; there is also Scheepwerf Hoebee in Dordecht and

the smaller shipyard, Scheepswerf an Os, which is based in Yerseke. The two main yards benefit from an open connection to the Rotterdam harbour area and the open sea.

Since its foundation, The Kooiman Group has developed significantly and is today able besides ship repairs, to offer a diverse range of services, such as new buildings and extensive modifications. Capable of processing steel, stainless steel and aluminium, the shipyard is modern and well equipped to ensure any project within the marine sector can be executed successfully. Facilities in Zwijdrecht include slipways up to 110 metres and a maximum capacity of 1700 tonnes, outfitting quays of 150 metres and two docks; one of which has a lifting capacity of 1000 tonnes and a width

between the dockwalls of 19 metres.

In Dordrecht, the slipway is capable to drydock vessels up to 150 x 25 metres.

The Kooiman Group also has its own design department, carpentry workshops and machine shop; as such, it can perform a wide range of work, including the installation of engines, shafts, rudders, piping and complete pipe systems. It also specialises in the design and manufacture of unloading and conveyor belt systems, as well as other dredging related equipment.

As a result of these modern facilities and the group’s commitment to efficiency and accuracy, Scheepswerf Gebr. Kooiman was awarded a new contract with ASL Shipyard Pte Singapore for the design and construction of three sets of towing pins with unique features in September

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Profile: The Kooiman Group

2014. ASL Shipyard Pte is currently building three infield support vessels for KT Marine Services that are based on the Rotortug ART 100-42 class design; in line with this construction work, Scheepswerf Gebr. Kooiman has created a revolutionary design for a retractable stainless steel deck chock, known as the Omega Pin. Elaborating on the project, Jos Blom, Business Development Director at The Kooiman Group states: “With the Omega-pin it is possible to have the towing point above the thruster(s) to ensure optimum manoeuvrability whilst towing. The shape of the Omega-pin makes it possible to perform towing operations with the towing line at an angle, which can reach up to 135 degrees from centre line and 45 degrees from deck. When the Omega-pin is not used it can be retracted. This way the deck will be clear for hose handling or other towing operations.The Omega-pins are designed for a SWL up to 160 tons (design load 400 tons) and a SWL of 100 tons (design load of 250 tons), both with LR Appraisal. Stainless steel and the smooth finishing make the pins ideal for use with synthetic towing ropes. Different executions can be developed on client’s request.”

The company also combined the Delta pin with the wire catcher/chain stopper to create a safe working environment aboard an anchor handling vessel for the project, as Jos points out: “Both the pins and the wire catcher are hydraulically retractable into the deck. Positioned on the centre line of the ship the direction of horizontal pull is 60° to both sides of the ship. In vertical direction the max angle of pull is 30°. This is a simple and clean design resulting in a safe work environment aboard every anchor handling vessel.”

More recently, the shipyard launched the hybrid tugboat Sil-Jeske B in advance of the vessel’s delivery in mid October 2015. This was the first hybrid tug boat built by the Kooiman Group, which proved itself to be a challenging but interesting project for the company; work included extending the width of the vessel, the construction of a new deckhouse and wheelhouse, raising the foredeck and making new bulwark; the shipyard

also constructed and installed a stainless steel stern roller and performed the complete outfitting.

Meanwhile, at Scheepswerf Hoebee, the company has been working on the conversion of a sea-going dredger, as Jos notes: “The vessel was drydocked at Scheepswerf Hoebee’s new slipway, which is where we completed underwater repairs, changed the drive of the dredge pump e-motor into a diesel engine; completed related installations and supplied and installed two diesel driven jet water pumps with related pipe installations.”

Although the market has been somewhat stagnant over recent years, The Kooiman Group has continued to stay busy thanks to its ability to meet the needs of its customers through close working relationships and the delivery of tailor made solutions.

Looking ahead, Jos believes these customer centric values will continue as The Kooiman Group seeks out new and exciting projects. “Our main focus will be on finding demanding customers with specific requirements, which we can convert into a vessel. We aim to do this for a big variety of types of vessels, without limiting ourselves in respect of dimensions. Our strategy is to expand in both new building and repair projects, on basis of a controlled but marginal expansion growth,” he concludes.

The Kooiman Group

www.thekooimangroup.com • Comprised of three Dutch shipyards and five companies • New contract to design and construct three sets of towing pins • Working on the conversion of a sea going dredger

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Profile: Serco NorthLink Ferries

Close

connections S erco is an international service company, which combines commercial knowhow with a deep public service ethos. The organisation began operations of NorthLink Ferries on 5th July 2012, and today operates three passenger vessels on the Orkney & Shetland routes: the MV Hjaltland, MV Hrossey and MV Hamnavoe. In addition it operates two freight vessels: the MV Hildasay and the MV Helliar.

The company has offices in Stromness, Kirkwall, Lerwick and Aberdeen and from the ferry terminals at Scrabster and Hatston.

NorthLink Ferries sail daily from Aberdeen to Lerwick with frequent calls at Kirkwall, and from Scrabster on the north coast of Scotland to Stromness in Orkney.

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The company’s ferries operate 363 days per year providing the lifeline service to the Northern Isles, with islanders, visitors, goods and supplies all travelling by NorthLink Ferries. The ships are designed with comfort in mind, with well-appointed lounges and bars, dining facilities and menus containing a selection of fine Island and local Scottish mainland produce. The vessels also have an on-board retail outlet, on board entertainment and comfortable cabin accommodation.

When NorthLink Ferries last appeared in Shipping & Marine, one of the areas highlighted was the upgrade of its online presence, which included a brand new online booking system, with added features and increased user-friendliness. Its

passengers have welcomed this system, and the company recently announced that it is already accepting bookings for travel to and from Orkney and Shetland for next year.

The ferry operator will continue with its current timetable and fares as well as cater for popular events by providing a temporary revised schedule when required. Peter Hutchinson, Customer Service Director at NorthLink Ferries, said: “NorthLink Ferries is very happy to now be accepting bookings for 2016.

The timetable ensures that the lifeline service continues to provide a variety of sailing options for island residents and those visiting the Northern Isles throughout the year. We look forward to welcoming passengers on board during 2016.�

Photos: Opposite page, Stromness, Orkney and below: Lerwick in Scotland

As mentioned above, supporting popular events is also on the agenda for NorthLink Ferries, and a great example of this is the Shetland Food Fair, which is Shetland’s annual event dedicated to all that’s great about locally-produced food and drink. This year is the first that NorthLink Ferries has taken the role of sponsorship partner in this event.

The deal sees NorthLink Ferries sponsor the Food Fair’s opening night for the first time, which was on Friday 30th October 2015. The Food Fair ran for three days, ending on Sunday 1st November.

Speaking before the event began, Rhanna Turberville, Lerwick Brewery Manager and Chair of the Food Fair Organising Committee, says: “The opening night gives everyone the chance to take a sneak peek at what’s launching at the Food Fair. Many people come on the Friday and make repeat visits throughout the weekend.

We wanted to make the opening night extra-special this year – for it to be a real celebration of some of the best food and drink that Shetland has to offer. As an active supporter of Shetland food and drink, NorthLink

Ferries is the perfect partner to help make this happen and we are delighted that they have come on board as a sponsor.”

Peter Hutchinson added: “Shetland has a wonderful selection of first

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Profile: Serco NorthLink Ferries

Orkney Isles

class producers and a fast-growing food and drink sector. For some time, NorthLink Ferries has been committed to using more local produce from right across the Northern Isles, particularly local items to sell in our on-board shops, bars and restaurants and we continue to grow our range.

Considering this commitment to the sector, sponsoring the opening night of the Food Fair is a perfect partnership for us and we are thrilled to be involved in such an exciting event.”

Shetland Food Fair 2015 featured a range of new product launches, with producers showcasing new products for the first time. Producers who attended included The Shetland Distillery Company, Shetland Farm Dairies, Frankie’s Fish & Chips, Skibhoul Bakery, Scoop Wholefoods, Artisan Island Cheese, Shetlandeli, Vidlin Pies, Liz’s Homebakes, Gateside Pork, Emma Louise’s The Coffee Shop, Sandwick Pork, Valhalla Brewery, Katja’s Cakes, Lerwick Brewery, Transition Turriefield, Uradale Farm and many more. The event also featured an exciting schedule of food demos and speakers across Saturday and Sunday.

Friday’s schedule started at 6pm with a VIP opening reception. The

public opening was at 7pm, featuring entertainment, special guests and a range of special offers for the event’s first customers.

Rhanna Turberville added: “This year’s Food Fair, in the Year of Food and Drink, gives us a real opportunity to shine a light on the fantastic breadth of food and drink which Shetland now produces. We’d like even more people to come and taste it – and find out why local produce tastes so great. This year’s Food Fair promises to be one of the most exciting Shetland food and drink showcases of recent years.”

It is clear from the above that NorthLink Ferries is very keen to support the local areas where its ferries provide crucial connectivity between the mainland and the Northern Isles. This support has recently been extended to the ocean itself, as more than 12 NorthLink Ferries crew members have undertaken training to help them spot whales, dolphins and porpoise whilst sailing between the mainland and northern isles.

The training marks the start of a new partnership between NorthLink Ferries and ORCA as they launch OceanWatch – a new conservation initiative that began on 25 July aiming www.shipping-and-marine.com - 37

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Profile: Serco NorthLink Ferries

Maritime Protection Solutions Maritime Protection Solutions Limited (MPS) is a specialist maritime and port security company based in Aberdeen. MPS was established in 2003 with the express intention of providing the maritime and port industries with a practical and efficient application of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code.

MPS has provided NorthLink Ferries with security services since 2003, passenger boarding control at its ferry terminals and also provides security services on board the MV Hjaltland and MV Hrossey.

In addition to the NorthLink contract, MPS provides effective and cost efficient maritime security services to include ship guarding, security training and consulting.

to monitor and collect data on marine life around the UK coastline and adjoining waters.

Speaking of the recent training and partnership, Captain Stuart McCallum, Marine Manager at Serco NorthLink Ferries, said: “Marine life is extremely vast and varied in the North Sea and through ORCA’s OceanWatch training we hope to be able to obtain a snapshot of whale, dolphin and porpoise presence in these waters.

“The on-board bridge teams are always on the lookout for marine wildlife and birds to help give passengers a more comprehensive picture of our native wildlife as they travel to and from the mainland.”

Sally Hamilton, Director of ORCA, said: “We are extremely pleased to be working with the NorthLink Ferries crew as they become more actively involved in marine conservation.

With daily sailings to the northern isles they are ideally positioned

to be able to support us with this surveying. They will also be able to pass on the benefit of their training to passengers.

“ORCA OceanWatch which supports the Sea Watch Foundation’s National Whale and Dolphin Watch is important when it comes to recording wildlife sightings. We are confident that with NorthLink Ferries’ support, the general public will have an enhanced appreciation for and desire to protect their marine environment.”

It is clear that since NorthLink Ferries last appeared in Shipping & Marine it has continued with its policy of continual improvement. Since 2013 the company has been focused on rebranding and development, and now its two freight vessels sport the Viking logo – in early 2014 the ferry fleet’s exterior were completed. The organisation has also now developed its own safety management system for all aspects of operations, which is in place and operational.

As NorthLink Ferries begins the journey towards 2016, customer satisfaction is still a top priority – as said MD Stuart Garrett commented previously: “Continuous improvement is what we strive for…The aim is to ensure customers have a stress-free journey, right from the moment they make a reservation to when they step off our ship.”

Serco NorthLink Ferries www.northlinkferries.co.uk

• Freight vessels rebranded with Viking logo • Partnership with Shetland Food Festival • New safety management system implemented

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Profile: A&P falmouth

partner

A trusted

A

s the operator of seven dry docks across three strategic locations in the UK at Falmouth, Tyne and Tees, A&P Group offers an extensive portfolio of services that can accommodate all ship repair requirements, ranging from emergency dockings to 25-year special surveys. All work is carried out under rigorous compliance with an integrated safety, health, quality and environmental management system fully certified under ISO 9001, 14001 & OHSAS 18001.

Growing through expertise, market-strength and dedication to delivering complex projects, A&P has developed over the years to become a global leader in ship repair, conversion and marine services. Able to deliver robust, bespoke solutions, A&P maintains a collaborative, open approach to create lasting and trusted partnerships. As part of A&P, A&P

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Falmouth benefits from its strategic location in one of the world’s largest natural deepwater harbours. On top of this, A&P Falmouth is the largest ship-repair complex in the UK, and consists of three large graving docks including the largest dry dock on the UK and extensive berthing facilities for vessels up to 100,000 tonnes.

Wholly capable of trading vast amounts of cargo, Falmouth is a busy working port that handles more than 100,000 tonnes of product on an annual basis and has over 30 companies located in the docks estate, ready and waiting to provide a comprehensive range of services.

These include towage, ship’s agency, area port health, diving services, local surveyors and tank washing. In addition to these services, Falmouth is viewed as the gateway to Cornwall and is used by more than 40,000 cruise passengers every year.

Proud to deliver long-term commitment to quality, reliability and efficiency, A&P Falmouth has developed many long-term ship repair partnerships with well-known companies such as P&O, Grimaldi, Condor, Euroships and Stena UK; some of which have been in place for up to 15 years.

A complete range of marine repair services are available to A&P Falmouth’s customers thanks to its onsite workshops for engineering, electrical, paint and fabrication.

Alongside these facilities, A&P Falmouth has bunkering facilities and offers customers the option of docking without gas-freeing, in-water surveys and propeller polishing services as well as support from OEMs and other specialist contractors based nearby.

Recent projects for A&P Falmouth include a major £15 million defence contract by the Ministry of Defence

that involves the installation of highend military capabilities in four new tankers in preparation of operations by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The contract, which will create ten new jobs and six new apprenticeships, will also help secure 350 jobs on site and provide a strong boost to the local economy following a challenging few years. In line with the announcement of this contract in January 2015, George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, visited A&P Falmouth as part of the Chancellor and Prime Minister’s tour of the southwest.

The two were also in the region to set out their six-point long-term economic recovery plan for the southwest through the creation of jobs and prosperity for the next generation.

Key to this plan is ensuring the world-class defence assets and cyber security industry in the region

continues to provide optimum benefits to the local economy; as such, the Chancellor has put aside £900 million of investment in the Salisbury Plain area for the development of new residential accommodation, storage facilities and workshops for the army.

In line with these long-term goals, A&P Falmouth’s customisation work on the tide-class Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) tankers will ensure the vessels boast state-of-the-art equipment such as communication systems, ballistic protection and upgrades that will allow the quick fitting of self-defence weapons. Once completed, the RFA will boast top-class tankers that will be able to deliver superior support to the Royal Navy as it takes on operations across the globe.

Planned to enter service in 2016, the tankers will maintain the Royal

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Navy’s ability to refuel at sea and will provide fuel to task groups and warships. As part of the contract A&P Falmouth will provide support to all four ships during service for a minimum of three years.

A major contract win for A&P Falmouth, the agreement reflects the capacity and skills of A&P Falmouth and its workforce, as well as the A&P Group’s capabilities as a whole.

The contract also provides A&P’s port business, Falmouth Docks and Engineering Company with additional business that will enable it to progress with its growth strategy.

Additionally, with a contract already in place to support and maintain RFA ships at home and abroad until 2018, A&P now maintains 12 Royal Navy vessels from its base in Falmouth.

Renowned across the globe for ship repair and conversion, A&P is at the forefront of the marine renewable energy sector, with A&P Falmouth taking on three renewable projects in 2014 alone. One of these projects involved the fabrication of Seatricity’s Oceanus 2 wave energy device, a 10m in diameter floating ring with cross tubes that travels up and down with the waves while operating a 42 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

pump to pressurise sea water that drives a hydroelectric turbine to produce electricity.

Awarded the contract in February 2014, A&P Falmouth completed the fabrication of the first device in mid 2014 before assembling and deploying it at Wave Hub, the offshore renewable energy test facility that is in close proximity to the Falmouth shipyard.

As part of the development team from concept design to final build, A&P was able to identify cost savings and manufacturing engineering techniques for the Oceanus 2 project, which helped keep costs to a minimum while maintaining a low cost of energy base, which is often measured in power output to device weight. Although in its early days, following the success of Oceanus 2, the aim for Seatricity is to develop 60 devices that will delivery ten mW of sustainable power, an amount that would power 10,000 homes.

Showing A&P’s strengths as a one-stop-shop for device developers, from concept to through-life support, this project drew the attention of the SW Green Energy Awards 2014, with A&P Falmouth and Seatricity

Profile: A&P Falmouth

shortlisted for the Best Renewable Energy Scheme, which took place in November 2014.

Although it boasts a strong order book thanks to its stellar reputation for delivering a superior standard of service, A&P Falmouth has a keen eye for finding opportunities in growing markets and industries

and will look to expand into exhaust scrubber installation projects as it moves forward. By expanding into a new business segment A&P Falmouth will further diversify its consumer base and thus drive further growth and development for its shareholders and the local economy over the coming years.

A&P Falmouth

www.ap-group.co.uk

• Specialises in ship repairs, engineering services and fabrication • Handles 100,000 tonnes of product annually • Currently expanding into exhaust scrubber projects

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Armada Engineering

Design Consultancy and Installations

A

rmada Engineering is based in the far southwest of England and amidst the centre of a busy hub of marine activity. Undoubtedly, the success of the region has allowed Armada to grow into one of the world’s leading yacht and ship hydraulics systems designers, installers and consultants.

The key strength of Armada Engineering is its particular ability to apply its technical knowledge. Armada understands marine systems and at the highest level its consultants can project manage new builds and advise on the successful integration of complex systems. Its team of practical design engineers works closely with the consulting team and provides innovative and practical solutions based on accumulated knowledge. Thereafter Armada’s team of technicians can be called upon to complete planned maintenance and installation anywhere around the world.

Locally in Falmouth, Armada has a number of core customers in ship repair, oil & gas, on-shore drilling, superyachts, and workboats. A&P Falmouth is Armada’s largest customer and is significant as it provides a wide scope of both engineering support and parts supply. Armada has undertaken numerous contracts for A&P Falmouth from major pipework installations on systems like ringmains and davits to the refurbishment of rams and valves and the supply of quality surveys and accurate hose registers.

Developing systems Armada Engineering were approached by A&P to consult on the upgrade of the barge Claude Monique. The job was in two parts;

To look at the feasibility of using the existing hydraulic power unit (HPU) to power four new winches and, in addition, the two new spud legs which were to be fitted to the vessel. l To manage and carry out the installation by modifying and adding pipework to suit the new requirements and to supply the remote control system for the winches.

After initial consultation the decision was made to replace the existing HPU as it was not suitable. The new unit was supplied by MPS Holland.

Working on a tight schedule, Armada consulted with the equipment suppliers to ensure correct specification of all components and designed a new hydraulic pipework layout to supply the system. The new layout consisted of a load sense ring main and pipework to power the new spud leg system.

The new pipework was installed in 316 stainless steel using the Walform Plus connection system to ensure a high quality installation. New deck penetration plates were fitted and RISE penetrations fitted to the bulkheads below deck.

Armada supplied an electrical system and Scanreco remote control to operate the new winches giving the operator the ability to control each winch and clutch from anywhere on deck. This electrical system was integrated with the electrical supply of the HPU for safety.

Armada engineers flushed and pressure tested the pipework before commissioning the complete system, including the new HPU, spud legs and winches before handing the new installation back to the owners for Lloyd’s approval. l

Group operations Armada Engineering is part of the larger Armada Group, which has extensive supply chain capabilities. The Supplies division based in Falmouth has local and regional presence for a number of products including all types of fluid power products, welding consumables, PPE and non-welded systems.

Armada Tube & Steel is a longstanding supplier to A&P Falmouth and whilst the two companies operate independently they do provide operational support to each other. .

Armada Tube & Steel is a national steel stockholder specialising in tubular products. The Tube & Steel division has supplied A&P Falmouth for over 25 years and is probably one of its oldest suppliers.

The company is a market leader in offering niche processing capabilities including

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tube lasers, bending and bulk cutting facilities. Its customers have the choice to purchase standard products or to maximise their production capabilities by purchasing semi-finished products to planned schedules. More recently Armada Tube are developing more fabrication facilities at Launceston to enable them to offer a one stop shop approach to more of their customers. facilities at Launceston to enable them to offer a one stop shop approach to more of their customers.

Supplies capabilities Armada’s Supplies division is one of the South-West’s largest distributors of hydraulic and fluid power products, and also it has a long history of supplying the region with, PPE and welding consumables including specialist brands like JASIC welding machines an international brand with a 5 year warranty. Whilst Armada as a group can supply A&P effectively from extensive stocks held at Falmouth and depots around the region, which allows the yard the flexibility to draw from a wide range of both basic fluid power products, fasteners and pipeline products without causing any disruption to its 24/7 operations.

Schoeller support Armada and its customers with a consignment stock of its ranges in held at Falmouth to minimise delivery issue on 6 metre lengths when required urgently at the Yard Armada could not provide a successful parts supply without its key suppliers (listed below) in support of its operations. n

We have a strong long-term relationship with Flowtechnology who provided us with a world-class service and deliver next day. They also offer the flexibility to deliver direct to our customers.

Schoeller-Bleckmann (UK) is a major stockholder and distributor of Stainless Steel Tube, Pipe & Hollow Bar Schwer Fittings – experts in stainless steel connection technology.

Manufacturer of tube and hose fittings with 100% traceability. Lloyds, ISO, DNV, ABS, GOST & RINA certified

Teekay Couplings manufacture and supply high quality stainless steel mechanical pipe couplings, suitable for new pipework installations and existing pipework repairs throughout the commercial and naval marine sectors

www.armadamh.co.uk

Manuli Hydraulics is a multinational group in the field of high pressure hydraulics, specialising in the supply of integrated connection solutions across a broad range of applications EPP Magnus Ltd (Europress) supply hydraulic lifting product from 5 - 1000 tonnes with a single cylinder. But we also supply special bespoke product in very fast turnaround times. Units for adjusting the rake on super yachts to long stroke -1.5m 150 tonne units for offshore usage. Manufacturing pumps to suit, hand, pneumatic and electric Jasic is an international developer, manufacturer and supplier of quality welding inverters and integrated welding solutions that represent value, reliability and innovation.

Tel: +44 (0) 1326 375566 www.shipping-and-marine.com - 45

Profile: Gibraltar Port Authority

Collaborative

solutions

S

trategically located at a crossroads of Mediterranean and Atlantic shipping lanes, the Rock of Gibraltar has been used as a naval fortress for centuries and is today renowned as a Maritime ‘Centre of Excellence’ that anchors the Strait of Gibraltar, a major commercial route. The current main activity at the port is bunkering, with bunkering companies continuing to go from strength-to-strength. In terms of bunkering services, Gibraltar’s bunkering companies can supply all grades of marine fuel from 30 centistokes to 380 centistokes and undertake constant quality checks to ensure an optimal product. Bunkers are normally delivered via barge while vessels are at anchor within Gibraltar Bay, however it is also possible for

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delivery at berth inside of the harbour.

In addition to its comprehensive bunkering services, the Port of Gibraltar operates a full range of complementary maritime services that ensures that the port can deliver turnkey solutions to all ship owners needs across a host of markets from cargo to cruise liners. These include ship management services and shipping agents, ship registry, ship repair, provisioning services including ship-to-ship (STS) cargo transfer and waste reception and storage facilities.

Looking to build upon Gibraltar’s unique geographical position and competitive facilities - while also providing a vital link between all ship stakeholders to ensure the delivery of a superior service to visiting vessels – is the Gibraltar Port

Authority. Established in 2005, the Port Authority’s main functions are to monitor and control all vessel movements for BGTW (British Gibraltar Territorial Waters) in support of port operations and navigational safety; provide and monitor port security, including the provision of security controls within restricted and controlled zones; search and rescue services in BGTW, pollution prevention and response and the monitoring and control of ship-toship and bunkering operations within BGTW. Taking the role of Commodore in May 2014, Bob Sanguinetti has been keen to continue the original strategy of Gibraltar Port Authority with the goal of developing and enhancing the competitiveness and safe operation

of the Port of Gibraltar. “Over the last eight months we have made a lot of progress in terms of improving efficiency for ships calling in for bunkers. Some of these initiatives involved increasing anchorage slots to allow more bunkers to operate as well as increasing and improving information flow between stakeholders.

With all of these initiatives complete, we are now looking at the wider services we provide such as the stores, crew changes and so on alongside the Port Community of Gibraltar to identify areas where we can up our game further.”

Focused on maintaining the port’s reputation as a centre of maritime excellence, Gibraltar Port Authority is also looking to enhance the usability of the eastern anchorage. So far the authority has successfully introduced an initiative to attract business to the eastern anchorage for shorter visits and is now introducing an initiative to attract ships needing to stay longer but also requiring access to the port for crew changes, maintenance and provisions from the store for example. “This initiative is a vivid example of the successful relationships the Gibraltar Port Authority has developed with the Gibraltar Port Operators Association, which is a local representative body of the private shipping sector community in Gibraltar. We meet on a monthly basis and interact

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Profile: Gibraltar Port Authority

on a daily basis to exchange views, ideas and to identify trends that can either be built upon or reversed.

“We took the Gibraltar Port Operators Association’s feedback on board with regards to the eastern anchorage and are being constructive with it to provide benefits, not only to the port by having more ships anchoring here, but also to the wider community as there are more service launches going out and more crew changes. This further extends the benefits to airlines, hotels and taxi companies as well as shipping agents and chandlers who have more work to do. Everybody wins.”

Proud of the close relationships it has developed with the shipping community over the years, both on a local and international scale, the Gibraltar Port Authority has focused on direct engagement with clients through face-to-face discussions where possible. It has also been involved in successful marketing trips

to Hong Kong and Athens over the last 12 months and is now looking to have face-to-face discussions with both current and potential clients in Northern Europe with the goal of explaining the services it provides and the initiatives it has in place to make Gibraltar more attractive.

Alongside customer engagement and developing highly beneficial initiatives, Gibraltar Port Authority maintains a strict adherence to its environmental, health and safety and navigational safety responsibilities. “We constantly review practices and procedures to ensure our teams are fully trained in their posts and stay up-to-date with refresher training,” explains Bob. “For example, in October 2015 we undertook a two-day long maritime crisis response training course in partnership with Resolve Marine, which was held in conjunction with the wider shipping community.”

In line with its commitment to training, Gibraltar Port Authority sees

opportunities to provide maritime courses for students at the recently opened University of Gibraltar and is currently in discussions with the university to show the benefits it can provide the local maritime community. Alongside this continuing development, Gibraltar Port Authority will be looking to consolidate its position as the leading bunker port in the Mediterranean, increase the number of cruise ships visiting Gibraltar and also improve the infrastructure for superyachts when they visit. “We face the challenge of staying one step ahead of trends and developments in the shipping world, but we feel that by working with our partners we can achieve this,” concludes Bob.

Gibraltar Port Authority www.gibraltarport.com • Major navigation hub • Strong focus on training • Turnkey port facilities

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Innovative Acid Replacement Technology Resolves Black Water Scale Global biosciences company Biotal Marine has developed unique eco-benign ® acid replacement technology for the shipping and marine industry with its AR 3000 BW product to resolve black water scale.

The vacuum toilet systems for sewage collection suffer from the buildup of scale and organic deposits in the black water piping due to limited water usage for flushing and the effects of airflow through the pipes. This build-up reduces the internal diameter of piping leading to increased risks of blockages, places unnecessary strain on the vacuum system and causes less efficient flushing, increasing the risk of unpleasant odours.

Traditionally, harsh chemicals have been needed to remove black water scale, however the AR 3000 BW product uses innovative eco-benign® chemistry to break down scale without the need to dry dock.

What Makes Biotal Marine AR 3000 BW an Effective Acid Product Alternative?

Biotal Marine has created the AR 3000 BW product through years of industry-leading research and development, to remove or dissolve black water scale in a wide range of shipboard applications without the need for acidic cleaning products.

To create the AR 3000 BW product, Biotal Marine researched and tested new and innovative alternatives to harsh chemicals and formulated them to produce effective products that breakdown the organic and inorganic elements that lead to black water scale build-up.

Currently, harsh acidic cleaning products are used for dissolving or removing limescale (calcium carbonate) in black water pipes but these products are very corrosive towards metals and require high levels of training, extensive planning and high grade personal protective equipment before use.

Although hydrochloric acid is the most effective compound used to breakdown limescale, it is highly corrosive like many other acidic products.

AR 3000 BW differs because it is safe to store and handle, which reduces health and safety concerns for consumers and the workforce.

In comparison with mineral and organic acids, AR 3000 BW is second only to hydrochloric acid in its ability to breakdown limescale. However AR 3000 BW does not carry many of the negative issues associated with the use of harsh acids.

Unlike traditional limescale removers, AR 3000 BW can be applied without the need for ships to be dry-docked. When using traditional acids for descaling pipes, any leaks that develop during treatment need to be found and solved quickly as any leaking acid will attack the structure of the ship, so traditionally, the treatment is completed by working in isolated sections that can be monitored carefully for leaks, resulting in a time intensive operation. AR 3000 BW solves this problem.

In the long term this can save a substantial cost on ship maintenance, as the product delivers dry dock treatment results but can be applied when the ship is fully operational.

The use of AR 3000 BW in comparison to harsher corrosive acidic chemistries ensures the product delivers a highly efficacious and targeted cleaning performance with no negative impact on surrounding application areas.

The organic and inorganic elements within the piping systems are broken down into natural biomaterials, which are completely biodegradable in a sewage treatment plant or in the environment. This reduces the cost and operational complexity of waste disposal.

As well as removing and preventing black water scale, AR 3000 BW also contains powerful degreasing agents, which make the product effective in the presence of oil and grease contamination. The addition of degreasing agents saves clients having to buy multiple products to tackle multiple tasks.

Dr Emma Saunders, Research and Development Specialist at Biotal Marine commented: “Ship maintenance is a costly process and the AR 3000 BW allows us to save our clients vast amounts of money treating black water scale.

By creating products containing our unique eco-benign® formulations, we offer a modern cleaning alternative to corrosive acidic cleaners that are harmful to the environment.

“We believe the AR 3000 BW product offers a genuine eco-friendly and sustainable market alternative that can help the shipping and marine industries practically and economically while also protecting the environment as well as their customers and employees.”

For more information on the Biotal Marine AR 3000 BW product line, call us on +44 (0)29 2079 1185 or email us at info@biotalmarine.com.

Alternatively you can visit our site http://www.biotalmarine.com.

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Case Study: Reederei Hermann Wulff Biotal Marine has worked closely with German shipping company Reederei Hermann Wulff, which currently operates ten vessels. After using the AR 3000 BW product the company reported: A more effective scale removal performance in comparison with alternative products l Improved water pipe maintenance l Easy product storage on vessels l

Technical Superintendent Herr Sommer at Reederei Hermann Wulff said: “We have used the Biotal AR 3000 BW on all our vessels in order to eliminate former scale build ups in the black water systems. The formula was used for eight days and as a result all vessels reported that black water pipes were much cleaner after the treatment, than with previous products. For vessels older than ten years, we can apply the Biotal AR 3000 BW product on a yearly basis, but for newer vessels we can treat scale build up after 18-24 months.”

Conclusion Biotal Marine’s experience and understanding of the marine industry and its market-leading product research and development ensures the AR 3000 BW product is the most cost-effective and environmentally-responsible product for the treatment of black water scale on the market.

To enquire about distributing the Biotal Marine products, contact sales@biotalmarine.com.

In addition more information about the Biotal Marine products can be found at http://www.biotalmarine.com/.

Biotal Marine’s Eco-Benign® Technology Underlying all of Biotal Marine’s research and development is its ecobenign® foundation. The foundation places environmental responsibility and sustainability at the heart of all the company’s products, from application to disposal.

Eco-benign® technology ensures the unique technology inside the AR 3000 BW product follows strict environmental compliance and delivers market leading performance.

AR 3000 BW is the only eco-benign® product offering in this sector.

What is Eco-Benign®?

eco-benign® l

Eco-benign® foundation and technology platform drives development of environmentally-responsible, innovative products:

l

Higher-performing microbial products based on an optimal balance of advanced, ecobenign chemistries and application-specific bacteria.

l

Chemistry that works with biology - not against it.

l

Advanced antimicrobial products based on plant extracts and essential oil technology.

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Profile: Ionic Group

Strength in

numbers

W

ith its third anniversary in operation coming up in January 2016, Ionic Shipping (Mgt) Inc. has already made its vision of establishing a ship management company with a difference a reality. Focused on its mission statement of always remaining committed to service excellence, while also providing value-added maritime transportation solutions to all of its charterers and carriers, the company has grown to manage a fleet of ten vessels in service.

From its base in Glyfada, Athens, Ionic’s team of competent professionals provides a comprehensive package of services; these include full technical management, operations and supply management, commercial management, crewing, insurance, financial & accounting management in addition to new-build projects 52 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

which includes supervision.

Although Ionic is still in its infancy in comparison to other ship management firms, the three directors of the company have a total of 80 years experience in the shipping industry alone and they have worked to build a full and professional service team of both shore-based and seafaring employees. Their expertise in tanker management practice has enabled the company to differentiate itself from its competitors in the dry bulk market.

Elaborating on these strengths to Shipping & Marine in May 2014, managing director of Ionic Spyros Vlassopoulos said: “The quality of the way the ships are run in addition to the tonnage itself is something that we are very proud of. Moreover, there are several extras that we continue to put on our new build vessels that are useful to our clients, such as CO2 in the cargo tanks, A60 steel bulkheads, fuel efficiency devices and super low

friction paints. We want to define ourselves as a quality ship manager.

We try to ensure that the ships that we run are of the highest specification whilst we recommend to owners the highest quality equipment that we would think it beneficial to include.

This is to make the vessels as ‘bullet proof’ as possible and preferable for our clients because we know what our head charters require.”

When previously featured in Shipping & Marine magazine in May 2014, Ionic had reached a major milestone in its history with the arrival of the newbuilding Kamsarmax bulk carrier Ionic Kleos.

Built at the Tsuneishi’s Tadotsu shipyard in Japan and delivered to Ionic on March 7th 2014, the Ionic Kleos enabled the company to enter the Kamsarmax segment of the dry bulk market. Since then the company has further expanded its fleet with the arrival of a sister ship for Ionic Kleos in September 2014 and two

further new vessels in the first quarter of 2015, as Mr Vlassopoulos highlights: “The sister ship of Ionic Kleos, namely the Ionic Katana, was a second hand vessel, and much like the Ionic Kleos we arranged a time charter for her and both vessels are performing well.

“Meanwhile, in January 2015 and March 2015 we took delivery of two additional Kamsarmax vessels, the Ionic Kizuna and the Ionic Kibou, from Tsuneishi’s Numakuma shipyard in Japan where both commenced their long-term charters; these additions to our fleet ensure our different segments continue to grow and also strengthen the relationships we have with the end users.”

Virtually identical in features, the two newest additions to the fleet are the latest evolution of the successful Tess82 design focusing on fuel efficiency. Both are 229 metres LOA, 225,10 metres LBP and have a beam of 32.26 metres with a summer

deadweight of 81,889 DWT and 81,868 respectively; they also have a depth of 20 metres, a draft of 14.40 metres, with a service speed of 14.0 knots. The two ships each have 97.157 cubic metres for cargo, have improved stream-lined hulls and an

electronically controlled B&W MAN 6S60ME-C8.1 Mark 7 main engine.

Keen to continue growing organically, Ionic’s Shipping’s management has several newbuild projects in the pipeline, including the construction of two sister ships

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Profile: Ionic Group

at Mitsui Shipbuilding in Japan.

“These two vessels are essentially the new design of Mitsui’s popular 56,000 DWT design, of which we currently manage three, namely the Ionic Smyrni, the Ionic Spirit and the Ionic Storm. The new vessels will be 60,000 DWT, with the first due for delivery in January 2016 and the other due in March 2016,”

explains Mr Vlassopoulos. “This is a continuous development with a shipyard that we are proud to have an ongoing relationship with. It is also worth mentioning that for this contract too, we are conducting in-house supervision at the shipyard in Japan; this not only emphasises our commitment to quality, but also strengthens the relationship Ionic has

with Japanese ship builders.

“We care a lot about quality and want to get to know the ship, what better way to do this than when its being constructed? Moreover, our project manager in Japan will be superintendent of these particular vessels, so it is a win-win situation in our eyes,” he adds.

Despite the challenges in the bulk carrier market, the company is cementing its role within this business segment through high operating standards, exceptional quality ships and strong client relationships.

“We will ensure that our house flag continues to fly high in all corners of the world. We will also continue to focus on our number one strategy, to build upon the relationships that we are very happy and proud to be associated with,” concludes Mr Vlassopoulos.

SeaStar Management SeaStar Management is one of the leading catering providers to the global shipping community and is serving Ionic Shipping (MGT) INC. SeaStar’s team of dedicated specialists ensures that the vessels are provided with nutritious, healthy and cost-efficient provision supplies.

In SeaStar’s continuous support to Ionic Shipping’s vessels and crew, SeaStar always works in close dialogue with Ionic to ensure their life at sea is made better. This is done through close communication, boarding visits and participation in Office Seminars held by Ionic.

All this is part of SeaStar’s standard service and what is done for all customers.

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Ionic Group

www.ionicship.com • Fleet of ten bulk carriers in service • Young, modern ships • Focused on quality tonnage

Profile: First Marine Solutions

way

Leading the

C

elebrating its seventh year in operation in 2015, Aberdeen based First Marine Solutions (FMS) has grown year-on-year since its inception thanks to its strong capability in delivering mooring solutions to clients across the globe.

A provider of expertise, technology, techniques and support, FMS listens and responds to market demand to ensure drilling units are moored in the most safe, time-efficient and costeffective manner possible.

“First Marine Solutions was founded in July 2008 by Ian Suttie, a well-known name in the North East of Scotland as he owns a number of companies including First Oil, First Integrated and First Subsea.

Originally FMS focused on operations overseas, such as the Far East, the Middle East, Egypt, Morocco and the Black Sea. However, now under new management, since December 2014,

we have developed more traction in the UK,” begins General Manager Brian Reid.

Since becoming General Manager, Brian has not only focused on developing a stronger presence in the UK, but has also strived to develop a one-stop-shop solution for clients; a service that complements the company’s £35 million pounds of the most modern mooring equipment, which is available to clients in the UK. “We initially focused on mooring rigs, but I decided that we need to do all of the services as one package. For example, you can call First Marine and request a rig to be moved from the Orkneys to Great Yarmouth. We will then put three vessels on the rig and tow it down the North Sea and position it into the point it needs to be, before we moor the whole rig up, making the whole process in-house,” explains Brian.

As a single source provider, of rig

move and mooring solutions, services include rig moving, the rental and sales of mooring equipment, marine and technical consultancy, AHV vessel selection and audits, survey and positioning services and mooring lines inspection. On top of this, FMS can offer intervention services as its highly skilled site teams have considerable experience in the deployment and recovery of mooring systems in the most complicated and deep seas across the globe. Indeed, the company’s competent and dedicated team can be called out to provide specialist vessels, replacement components, experienced site teams for recovery, change-out and deployment procedures.

To make the one-stop-shop service possible, FMS made the strategic decision to set up a ground-breaking joint venture through an exclusive deal with Siem Offshore, a renowned AHT owner, in July 2015. With both companies working together, www.shipping-and-marine.com - 55

Profile: First Marine Solutions

organisations will be offered three high-specification vessels for six days at a set fee, with a further four days added free of charge in case of delays or other issues. This premise is not only offered for a client’s rig move when it goes on location, but also when it moves off location months later.

“We were introduced to Siem Offshore by Seabrokers and with this contract now in place we can provide the client with three anchor handling vessels to move their asset at a fixed price at any time of year.

The price doesn’t depend on the spot market, so if the rates of an anchor handler went up to £40,000 a day, we would still supply this to our client for £13,200 a vessel.” This joint venture will provide the most cost-effective

solution for FMS’s customers. In line with this major development, the company has also created a strong working relationship with a pool of 20 freelance Tow Masters.

The strengths and benefits of working with FMS have not gone unnoticed in the oil and gas industry, with many blue-chip organisations included in its long client portfolio.

As Brian notes: “We recently provided three-point mooring systems in three different locations for Total in Angola in 1100 metres water depth. We also completed a double pre-lay in the Black Sea for Transocean and recently successfully recovered the first pre-lay mooring system that was deployed in July 2014. Both projects were successful and went very smoothly.”

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Profile: First Marine Solutions

in mooring solutions for its customers, FMS is investing in the future with new innovations that will enhance operations and minimise disruption.

One such innovation is a unique ‘plug and play’ system for FPSOs, which is being provided by using industry proven technology from its sister company First Subsea and is anticipated that this will be launched in the first-quarter of 2016.

“First Subsea developed these ball grab type connectors (see pics left) that have been used in the Gulf of Mexico at a depth of 2500 metres and are a proven, safe mooring connector. We now want to introduce this technology into the MODU and FPSO market as a plug and play system so the ball grab connector is put in at both ends with one single line so there are no connections to fail in-between.

We would then set a programme of annual or bi-annual preventative line maintenance/inspection by unplugging

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the connectors and installing a new one,” explains Brian.

In addition to this innovation, FMS is also looking to develop a quick release system for MODU and FPSOs, which would allow the FPSO to drop all moorings and escape danger in an emergency situation such as an iceberg before sailing back to the moorings and hooking up once again. “Over the next 12 months we will be focusing on the FPSO market and setting up these new initiatives. Ultimately, we are an ambitious company that is looking to grow; by providing a first class, innovative service,” concludes Brian.

First Marine Solutions

www.firstmarinesolutions.com • Specialists in providing services for rig moves and mooring

• Offers a one-stop-shop solution • Joint venture established with Siem Offshore

Profile: Goodwood Ship Management

Operational excellence

A

n independent ship management company that offers a comprehensive range of high quality marine services, Goodwood Ship Management is driven to exceed the expectations of its customers in all areas of operation.

Its extensive range of ship management services covers technical management, crew management, commercial management and marine consultancy services (including new building supervision). Thanks to its wide ranging expertise, today Goodwood Ship Management manages a highly diversified fleet, consisting of VLCCs, Suezmaxes, Aframaxes, chemical / product tankers, LPG and container vessels.

A team of highly skilled, experienced and dedicated professionals manages all of these vessels, and they are able to utilise many years of shipping background and operational expertise to handle the most complex international shipping operations.

Goodwood Ship Management takes ownership, but also embraces the owners’ approach, allowing ship owners to secure and service very long-term contracts from the most demanding charterers.

It is through providing this exemplary level of safe, reliable and cost-effective ship management services that Goodwood Ship Management seeks to differentiate itself from the rest of the market.

In order to maintain these levels it constantly challenges existing procedures and brings about improvements to its operations.

A perfect example of how Goodwood Ship Management embraces modern approaches is its electronic document management system, which is used to facilitate the integration of various management systems. These include ISM Code, TMSA and the ISO standards for Quality, Environment, and Occupational Health & Safety and Energy Management. Using this system leads to greater compliance with the various standards, while minimising the administrative load on Goodwood and its seagoing staff.

This point also illustrates how Goodwood Ship Management is dedicated to assisting employees in order to ensure they can undertake their duties in the best way possible.

It is this approach that helps the organisation maintain its exceptionally high retention rates for crew and

officers, which, when Shipping & Marine last featured the business, stood at 84 per cent for crew and 88 per cent for officers.

Its seafarers are sourced from India, Italy, Norway, Spain, and the Philippines, providing a diverse global perspective on its work whilst maintaining high standards. On the manning front, Goodwood Ship Management’s policy, adopted in 2008, to induct cadets on the Deck, Engine and Electrical sides, has begun to give dividends. “This year we have our first batch of home grown deck and engine cadets joining back and we will have a steady stream of them as Officers in the coming years,” said Capt. Sabnis, Managing Director, speaking in 2012. “Our crew are presently trained at a number of different external training facilities and also at the company’s own facilities in Goodwood Marine Services located in Mumbai and Transglobal Maritime Inc in Manila. The Personnel & Operations department supervises all training courses and programmes to ensure the best quality is achieved.”

The company continues with an active recruitment policy, and is keen to welcome both seafarers onboard its vessels as well as staff ashore who www.shipping-and-marine.com - 59

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Profile: Goodwood Ship Management share its core values of strength, quality, teamwork, loyalty, creativity and responsiveness. By creating such a strong and reliable team, Goodwood Ship Management is better placed to capitalise on opportunities and bring about unified actions that are instrumental to its pursuit of zero accidents and zero spills.

This last point brings Goodwood’s dedicated environmental policy into focus, and Capt. Sabnis discussed the company’s green efforts and the latest ISO accreditation on the market in the last interview: “Since the beginning, our fleet has been eco-friendly, especially the newbuild VLCCs that we have supervised their construction and inducted into our management,” he explained. “The series of Kamsarmax vessels being built are also eco-friendly and energy efficient ships.”

He continued: “Energy is the one issue where maximum money is often spent by the owner as it affects the direct operating cost of the ship. If an owner can achieve even a 0.5 or one per cent saving in efficiency, with the cost of bunker fuel today it would tantamount to a substantial saving.

That is what drives our environmental and energy efficient mindset. To achieve it we have revised our procedures, bringing in new operating methods and energy management plans.”

In fact, Goodwood Ship Management Pte Ltd became the first ship management company in Middle East, Asia and Pacific region and third globally to be certified by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for the implementation of an Energy Management System on board the

Saifee Shipspares Goodwood Ship Management has set a very high standard for quality and service under the exemplary leadership of Captain Ashok Sabnis.

We deeply value and respect our relationship with Goodwood Ship Management, and have every intention to do our utmost to ensure our full support to them and their vessels calling in UAE ports.

Working with the teams, we have meticulously identified and tailored our range of services to ideally suit the high-standards of Goodwood Ship Management. Saifee will continue to evolve and augment their level of service to keep matching the uncompromising quality and competitive specifications established by Goodwood Ship Management.

managed vessels in April 2013. This achievement further reinforces the company’s commitment to sustainable operations and improving energy performance in accordance with ISO 50001.

Capt. Sabnis said: “This is an industry where an organisation’s reputation for its services is paramount. Achieving the ISO 50001 certification demonstrates and re-reaffirms our commitment to maintaining a progressive approach to building energy management into our everyday business practice.”

As the company stands in 2015, it is still a young business, having been established only seven years ago in 2008. However, a high quality service has always been the crux of Goodwood Ship Management’s offer, and by taking challenges and seeing them as opportunities, and by working hard to effect change and get the job done, the company continues to enjoy success. Goodwood Ship Management is ambitious, and while it currently manages a fleet of 36 vessels worldwide, it has the ability

and expectation to handle many more.

By mid-2016, the company expects to reach a fleet of 45 vessels, all of which will be supported by the focus on quality for which the Goodwood Ship Management name has become renowned.

Goodwood Ship Management

www.goodwoodship.com • Exemplary reputation in the market • Very strong relationships with clients • Huge range of services on offer

Half Century Experience in dedicated shipping services, Commodities Owner, Operator bulk, Tankers, LPG 2-1-20 2F Moto-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo (JP) Email: sales@kyodoj.co.jp / gana@kyodoj.co.jp Tel: +81 (0) 35449 1412 | Fax: +81 (0) 35449 3871

KYODO CORPORATION is one of the worlds leading suppliers of ship operation equipment and marine services. With over 50 years experience in the international marine, shipping, transportation plus the oil and gas industry, we proudly provide services to over 300 customers in 100 countries worldwide. We integrate technology and customer satisfaction as our main goal in our day d to day business. Environment friendly packing and asbestos free material supplies.

SWIFT, RELIABLE, EFFICIENT Pioneer ships machinery / spare parts supply at most Competitive prices with high quality and Maker warranty No. 2-38-3 Kamiuma, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo (JP) Email: sales@deltaship.co.jp / gana@deltaship.co.jp Tel: +81 (0) 35449 1425 | Fax: +81 (0) 35449 2871

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Profile: P&O FERRIES

Spirit of

success P

Ensign Marine Ensign Marine are the UK’s leading supplier of marine electrical spares and are pleased to have been the principal supplier to P&O Ferries for the past 15 years. With our skilled workforce, Ensign have also built a reputation with leading shipping companies world-wide. Not only can we deliver from our vast stocks, but we can also source supplies direct from global manufacturers. With delivery available across the UK and Worldwide, Ensign are ready to help whenever you need us!

&O Ferries is a leading pan-European ferry operator, sailing on nine major routes between Britain, France, Ireland, Holland and Belgium. The company operates 20 vessels, which carry more than ten million passengers, 1.6 million cars and two million freight units every year.

2015 has been an exciting year for P&O Ferries, as it has not only introduced a brand new look, but also expanded the number of crossings that it offers.

Indeed, the company has been enjoying a very successful period and in the third quarter of 2015 it carried more freight between Dover and Calais than ever before in its modern history.

The company transported 367,000 units of freight across the English Channel between July and September - a 30 per cent increase on the same period last year and the best single quarter since 2003.

September alone was the best single month for freight since 2003, with 129,500 units transported between Britain and France. The figure surpassed the previous monthly record (123,000) which was set in July this year. Freight comprises around two-thirds of P&O Ferries’ business, with tourists accounting for one-third.

Helen Deeble, Chief Executive of P&O Ferries, said: “These figures reinforce the importance of the cross-Channel ferry industry to the hundreds of thousands of www.shipping-and-marine.com - 63

Profile: P&O FERRIES

businesses which rely on the efficient transportation of goods between Britain and France.

“This quarter has been unprecedented, with the strike by French seamen and the temporary closure of the port of Calais bringing major logistical challenges. I am very proud that everyone at P&O Ferries has risen to that challenge and helped to keep exceptional volumes of freight moving across the Channel.

“Demand for cross-Channel transport is only going to increase, driven by a rising population and a recovering economy. We have

increased the number of sailings we make between Dover and Calais to 58 a day and brought a sixth ship back into service on the route in order to make sure that we are best placed to meet that demand.”

The news follows a strong tourist performance in August, with the company carrying its highest monthly number of people across the Channel since August 2003.

P&O Ferries attributed the strong passenger numbers to its investment in a new class of super-ferry, which has significantly enhanced capacity and tourists capitalising on the continuing economic recovery.

Industrial action by French seamen, which closed the port of Calais for several days during the peak season, has not affected the upward trajectory.

Helen added: “This summer has been one of the most challenging ever for cross-Channel travel and I am

very pleased that P&O Ferries has helped to keep tourists and freight moving between Britain and France in huge numbers.

“We have been able to carry well over a million people in August because of our investment in the new Spirit-class of ships which have helped to transform our customers’ experience of cross-Channel travel.

The Spirit of Britain and the Spirit of France are both capable of carrying 2000 passengers, twice the capacity of a standard ferry, while offering a first class dining, leisure and retail experience.

“We expect further busy periods during the half-term holiday and also the winter sports season, with a growing number of skiers choosing to drive to the Alps via one of our ferries rather than fly.”

When passengers choose to travel by a P&O ferry, their first stop should be the company’s comprehensive website, at www.poferries.com.

Clearly and logically set out, the site highlights the expected content such as available routes and travelling times, on-board facilities and special offers. But it also offers very useful travel advice, including where to stay, travel guides and foreign exchange, and even advice on travelling on board a P&O ferry with a pet dog, cat or even ferret!

Following such a successful quarter, P&O Ferries has a high set of targets to maintain going into the future. But the company is sure to be bolstered by its recent major award win from The Sunday Times, when it was crowned ‘Best Ferry Operator’ and its nomination into the prestigious 2015 World Travel Awards, in the World’s Leading Ferry Operator category. It has even been highly commended in the PetsPyjamas Travel Awards! Given the British public’s love for their animals, that sort of endorsement can only add to further success in the future.

P&O Ferries

www.poferries.com • Largest fleet of ferries in Europe • Continual focus on excellence • Recently won major award

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Profile: MMC Green Technology BWMS 150 m3/h

A perfect

system E

BWMS 100 m3/h

stablished in 2010 as a spin-off within the MMC Group of companies, one of the leading suppliers of fish handling and refrigeration systems, the goal of Fosnavaagbased Norwegian firm MMC Green Technology AS is to develop environmental protective solutions for the maritime industry in line with the upcoming ballast water management (BWM) convention.

Not only benefiting from MMC’s experience in water treatment systems, MMC Green technology is comprised of employees with long-

term competence and experience from several other organisations in the Norwegian Maritime Cluster.

This is an area that controls more than five per cent of the world’s merchant fleet and boasts the second largest offshore fleet in the world, after the US. Made up of 14 design companies, 14 shipyards, 18 ship owners, 172 equipment suppliers, 22,500 employees and 40 per cent of the world’s modern fleet, the Norwegian Maritime Cluster is truly world-class.

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Profile: MMC Green Technology

BWMS 450 m3/h

BWMS 300 m3/h

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DNV type approval for our first system in December 2012 and put the product out into the market in January 2013.

Since then approximately 75 systems have been sold, most of which have been sold to shipyards for installation on newbuilds, however we have also been involved in selling systems for retrofit projects on offshore vessels,” says Børge Gjelseth, sales and marketing director.

Within the company’s portfolio is the MMC BWMS 100 m3/h, which has a minimum flow of 24 m3/h and a maximum flow of 100 m3/h; one UV chamber, with a minimum flow of ten m3/h and a maximum flow of 150 m3/h; a power consumption UV of

7.2 kW to 13.5 kW, a skid footprint of 1200 mm length x 800 mm breadth and a total height of 2600 mm. The MMC BWMS 100 m3/h’s skid can be tailored to meet special requirements and the system can be installed in separated components, which is particularly beneficial for retrofit projects.

Alongside the MMC BWMS 100 m3/h is the MMC BWMS 150 m3/h, the MMC BWMS 300 m3/h, the MMC BWMS 450 m3/h and the MMC BWMS 500 m3/h; the latter of which has a minimum flow of 85 m3h and a maximum of 500 m3/h and has a skid footprint of 2200 mm length x 900 mm breadth. “Instead of developing our own UV and our own filter, we instead chose to have close co-operation with the supplier of this equipment, which is based on continuous feedback and everyday discussions. This is something we believed in from the beginning and we see it as part of our success,” explains Børge.

Since going commercial with its BWMS, more than 50 of MMC Green Technology’s systems have been installed. So far feedback has been positive, with ship owners and operators, appreciating that the system is the smallest on the market and takes up little space on board; on top of this, the system is also easy to operate thanks to its simple structure.

Having received positive feedback for its systems, MMC Green

Technology is now looking to build up a network of agents to provide start-up, service and after sales of its systems in advance of an IMO convention on the requirements of ballast water systems; this is anticipated to be ratified within short time. The aim of the convention is to prevent marine organisms being moved across the globe via ballast water in vessels, which has the potential to drastically interfere with the natural environment. However, before the convention enters into force, it must be ratified by at least 30 countries that represent 35 per cent of the world’s fleet and is currently approximately two per cent off its target.

Despite the slow process of ratification and the sluggish offshore market leading to few newbuilds in the industry, MMC Green Technology aims to keep pushing forward the benefits of using its BWMS while also aiming for USCG type approval.

“We aim to be one of the serious suppliers in the market and to do this we need to keep updating our systems in accordance to any new regulations,” concludes Børge.

MMC Green Technology AS www.mmcgt.no

• Manufactures ballast water treatment systems • Sold more than 70 systems since 2013 • Systems are DNV type approved and USCG AMS accepted

Boll & Kirch BOLLFILTER Automatic Type 6.18.3C for the filtration of ballast water There are many types of ballast water treatment systems for large vessels, and as more than 10 billion tons of ballast water are carried by the world’s ships each year, they play a very important role. Without ballast water treatment systems, the transport of harmful pathogens and micro-organisms would seriously threaten marine ecosystems. Ballast water treatment through filtration is gaining popularity as an efficient and safe method. The BOLLFILTER Automatic Type 6.18.3C presents an ideal solution.

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Profile: Team tankers INTERNATIONAL

Worldwide

T

L to R: Michael Obling, Svend Anthonsen, Andreas Reklev, Jens Grønning, Martin D. Solberg, Thomas Voss, Per Tyrsted Jørgensen

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team

he Team Tankers International that exists today can look back on a long and proud tradition in the shipping industry to origins as far back as 1883 with the foundation of Camillo Eitzen & Co. Through a continual process of acquisition and restructuring the company has developed over the years to become one of the world’s leading chemical tanker businesses.

Formerly known as Eitzen Chemical, as of January 2015, the company began operating under its new name following a global reorganisation that saw the firm’s international headquarters move to Bermuda, and operationally managed from subsidiary offices in Singapore in Norway. In February 2015, Team Tankers International was listed

on the Oslo Stock Exchange and a successful year followed.

Being amongst the top ten largest chemical tanker operators in the world, in terms of both fleet number and average vessel size, Team Tankers has established over a long history a reputation for leading operational capabilities, an insatiable appetite for growth and an exemplary attitude to delivering value to its customers. Its main cargoes range from organic and non-organic chemicals to clean and dirty petroleum products, vegetable oils and lubricant oils. At present the company has a fleet of 43 active ships with an average age of ten years making Team Tankers’ fleet one of the youngest and most modern in the world. These include 32 owned vessels and 11 charters between 3500 dwt and 46,000 dwt, with a 42 per

cent to 58 per cent split between stainless steel and coated, respectively.

Manned by 1250 experienced crew members and supported by 80 onshore employees in seven strategically placed offices around the world, in 2014 Team Tankers carried 48 different cargo types for 189 different customers. This translates into 9.1 million tonnes of cargo across the entire year with 787 voyages between 2833 ports in 97 countries. Offices are currently located in the USA (two), Bermuda, Norway, Denmark, Spain and Singapore. Operating on such a global scale, Team Tankers’ main trade lines bridge all the key chemical supply markets in the US, Northwest Europe, Singapore and the Middle East to the main importers in Europe, Asia and North America.

The strategic focus for Team Tankers continues to be on organisational growth and a look

at its activities for the past year clearly demonstrates this. Company President and CEO, Hans Feringa joined the team in September 2015 and Executive Chairman, Morten Arntzen commented at the time on the ambitions of Team Tankers under Hans’ leadership: “We are delighted that Hans will now be leading the company as it focuses on growth and expansion. He brings unequalled industry experience and an outstanding track record of success. His insights and experience will drive Team Tankers’ strategy to excel at serving our clients and their markets in the years ahead.”

Hans himself followed on by saying: “The employees of Team Tankers have a long and proud tradition in the shipping industry, and I am honoured to uphold this tradition while leading the company into new areas of opportunity. The company’s commitment to providing value to its

Tersan Shipyard Tersan Shipyard is today one of the biggest and most modern new building, ship repair and conversion yards in Europe.

The current yard is located in Yalova and Tuzla operating three floating docks.

The yard is almost the biggest shipyard facility in Turkey in terms of 300,000 sqm indoor & outdoor areas, 1450 mtrs total berthing, 30,000 tons per year steel handling and more than 2000 people workforce capacity.

Tersan Groups’s repair and docking facility is dedicated to provide a first class service to the shipping industry through the motto of ‘cost effective, on time repairs with high quality.’

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The new livery of Team Tankers

V.Ships V.Ships are proud to have been a trusted partner working together with Team Tankers throughout the last eight years.

Within V.Group we have the skills and expertise to deliver resilient, profitable operations to Team Tankers. The scale and breadth of our services means we always meet expectations, indeed we will always be committed to working towards exceeding them.

We wish Team Tankers International every success for the future and look forward to supporting them to achieve their mission and vision.

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customers will establish it as a market leader in the market segments in which we will compete.�

Following this move and illustrating this refined strategy of growth, a month later the company announced that ABN AMRO Bank had joined its existing loan facility

Profile: team teankers INTERNATIONAL

increasing Team Tanker’s loan by $50 million to $150 million. In the same month, the company announced that it would be time chartering two 13,000 dwt coated vessels for one year, which are expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2016. Further committing to fleet expansion, in November the company took delivery of one MR IMO II vessel for a time charter of one year, and announced the purchase of one 8900-dwt stainless steel vessel, also to be delivered during the first quarter of 2016. Keen to maintain the upto-date fleet and focused operational strategy this coincided with the sale of two of Team Tanker’s oldest vessels, the Sichem Houston and the Sichem Fumi, which were both no longer a fit for the fleet’s focus.

This assertive effort to stimulate growth and expansion in the market correlates with present market forecasts. These see regions in the Middle East, India and North America becoming even more prominent in the chemical trade industry as a result of growth in chemical plant and petroleum refinery capacity within them. The company also foresees the US’s increased shale gas development having a positive effect on the demand for long haul chemical tanker transportation.

Operating successfully in the international market however, does not purely mean operating in a financially streamlined and strategically focused way for Team Tankers. Alongside this runs a dedicated set of values, which are neatly summed up by its strap line: ‘Superior commitment to customers and quality creates value.’

Under these ambitions, the global organisation focuses on safety and the environment, the quality of its service, its commitment to both its customers and people, as well as the encouragement of new thinking and proactive development. Central to the way it conducts its business under these commitments lay the three integral values of respect, commitment, and honesty, which are directed both towards its people and the environment in which it operates.

Team Tankers International

www.teamtankers.com • Amongst the top ten largest chemical tanker operators • 2015 seen a major organisational restructure and new leadership • Clear plans for growth with new vessels added to fleet

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Profile: Visser v/h I. van Raalte

Supplying

solutions K

nown for its ability to fulfil the needs of its global customer base, well-reputed Dutch wholesaler in ship supplies Visser V/H I. van Raalte boasts more than 50 years experience in supplying ship specific products to the likes of ship owners, management companies and shipping agencies. “Visser v/h I. van Raalte BV has been a wholesaler in ship’s supplies for over 70 years now. We supply all technical general deck and engine stores, varying from cotton rags to pneumatic tools and everything in between. Although we now focus on the shipping industry, we previously made flags, cut cotton rags and supplied galley utensils before we became the company we are today,” begins Patrick Mouthaan, Managing Director of Visser v/h I. van Raalte.

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Although the shipping industry is currently sluggish, Visser v/h I. van Raalte has maintained steady success thanks to the long-term close customer relationships it has built and developed over the years.

Key to these clients remaining loyal to the company is its flexibility in delivering what is required both on time and as cost effectively as possible, as Patrick explains: “Prices and margins are under a lot of pressure. We strongly believe that a genuine purchaser or purchasing department is, together with the right partners and mutual trust, able to keep operational expenses as low as possible. By looking at longer term purchasing or contracting a lot of ad hoc decisions and time consuming purchases can be avoided. We are an excellent partner to provide these services as we have the knowledge

and experience to do this. By offering storage and warehousing we can offer the complete package.”

He continues: “The market is demanding fast reply in quotations and, fast and reliable deliveries.

We supply basically everything from stock, in all possible required qualities. We are importers of textile, ropes, ferryl anticorrosives, galley equipment, cleaning materials and have our own people in our own trucks delivering the goods and therefore are very flexible. Because we have the right people in the right place we are the most trustworthy supplier available and can solve problems easily, should they occur.”

Indeed, to meet the expectations and requirements of customers, Visser v/h I. van Raalte applies a highly efficient and effective stock and pricing policy at its premises in

the Port of Rotterdam. From its modern and open space 2600 m2 warehouse and 500 m2 offices, the company has ample capacity for products, thus ensuring availability, consistent quality and complete deliveries. “We built our warehouse and offices in 2010 with the general idea of keeping everything transparent,” says Patrick. “That way, if a customer comes to visit us, they can see from our office how we are picking orders and checking deliveries in our warehouse.”

Available 24/7, Visser v/h I. van Raalte’s dedicated employees, including some office personnel, are all able to pick and deliver the stores. The company also owns and operates four trucks, which increases flexibility and further guarantees items will be delivered on time. Furthermore, all personnel have expertise in ropes, hoisting and lashing chains, as well as accessories, cotton rags, galley and messroom equipment so no customer enquiry is too difficult to answer. In fact, this knowledge spreads across all major departments, from deckstores, enginestores, medicine, welfare items and safety related items, thus enabling the company’s employees to offer more suitable or efficient items as opposed to offering what is requested. “’Knowing the ropes’ in our business means using the correct items and thinking ahead in terms of keeping crew safe. By offering and supplying the correct items instead of just offering what is requested is just one way that our years of experience enables us to become the reliable partner we claim to be,” highlights Patrick.

Establishing itself as a one-stop-shop, Visser v/h I. van Raalte is the ideal partner in delivering products, and the company is keen to prove its capabilities to new customers, no matter how challenging the request. Thanks to its close relationships with manufacturers, extensive product knowledge and independent transportation services, Visser v/h I. van Raalte can find a solution to finding the most specific of products or delivering in the shortest of lead times.

Through its long-term relationships with German customers, Visser v/h I. van Raalte recently used the power of word-of-mouth recommendations on an advertisement that appeared on German television. “The business we do is primarily based on trust that we get things done and say and deliver what we promise,” says Patrick.

“Most of our advertising is done face-to-face as customers are happy with the services we provide are the best representatives. We were made aware of some potential German customers and wanted to address these through an advertisement on Hafen TV.de, with our strengths backed up by some long-term German customers that were willing to be used as a reference.”

Moving forward, the company will be seeking out new products www.shipping-and-marine.com - 73

Profile: Visser v/h I. van Raalte and items that will be able to offer solutions to its customers. “We recently started to promote, sell and distribute Tycan Dyneema chain solutions as an extra to the expertise we already have on hoisting and lashing,” says Patrick. On top of this, Visser v/h I. van Raalte will be focused on expansion following its strategic decision to acquire land next to its warehouse as it continues to provide a superior service and the best possible supplier solutions to its growing customer base. “We are going to expand our forwarding and storage facilities to provide even more service to our customers; we are also looking to target more ‘industry based’ customers by delivering and storing more stock and products.

For potential customers who have yet to work with us, try us and we will prove what we are saying; by being a partner instead of a supplier we will exceed your expectations,” concludes Patrick.

Visser v/h I. van Raalte www.vivar.nl

Van Meelstraat 11, 3088GM Rotterdam, the Netherlands T: +31-10-2836111 • F: +31-10-4282014 • E: sales@vivar.nl

• Supplier of ship specific products • All products held in stock to ensure fast and efficient service • Recently acquired extra terrain for expansion

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VMS Ropes & Twines Rotterdam-based VMS is a well-respected supplier to the maritime and offshore industries. It has earned a valued reputation thank to its outstanding products, high level of expertise, well balanced stock, own means of transport, extremely fast delivery times, fast response to enquiries and its own rigging/inspection crew. The company has also gained recognition for suppling key solutions to big offshore and maritime companies, establishing a firm position in the market, both nationally and internationally.

Profile: port of liverpool

Integrating

S

operations

trategically located to serve the whole of the United Kingdom, Peel Ports Group is one of the largest port groups in the country, with seven ports and a multitude of terminals under its ownership and operation. Committed to investing in its future, the group’s increasingly diverse offering of agility, efficiency and promotion of progressive partnerships ensures customers receive cutting-edge, optimum solutions.

At the heart of Peel Port Group’s operations are the Manchester Ship Canal and the Port of Liverpool, the latter of which is one of the busiest and most diverse ports in the UK, as Port Director David Huck explains: “We can handle any commodity, which is evident in the size of our portfolio and the fact we handle approximately 47 million tones of freight per annum. We handle

anything from cars, to containerised traffic, to RoRo traffic, to agribulk grains or steels and metals. We also handle forest products and liquid bulk.” Indeed, with this vast amount of freight moved through its docks, the Port of Liverpool alone represents almost 60 per cent of Peel Ports’ trade.

Key to the major success of the Port of Liverpool is continuous improvement in services and port infrastructure. For example, Peel Ports Group is currently focusing on the development of a new £100 million biomass terminal, which, once commissioned, will handle around three million tonnes of wood pellets per annum as part of the decarbonisation of Drax Power Station. Announced shortly after Drax stated it had saved 20 million metric tones of carbon since it began burning biomass, the company expects to reach 50 million metric

tones over the next two-and-a-half years, with the Port of Liverpool playing a key role in helping Drax achieve this goal.

With phase one completed, four trains a day are carrying wood pellets shipped to Liverpool from North America to Drax Power Station as part of Europe’s largest decarbonisation project. To ensure there is no impact to the local road network, all wood pellets arriving at the Port of Liverpool will be sent to Drax by rail, with up to ten train loads of pellets expected to travel in custom-made biomass rail wagons to the power station on a daily basis once the terminal is fully completed in 2016.

The new biomass terminal is an integral part of Peel Port Group’s strategy to transfer freight from road to more sustainable rail and water solutions. The terminal will also contribute to the group’s ambitious www.shipping-and-marine.com - 75

Profile: port of liverpool

growth plans for the Port of Liverpool, particularly with regards to its investment of £300 million in the creation of the UK’s most centrally located deepwater container terminal, Liverpool2. Due to open in January 2016, Liverpool2 is one of the UK’s most ambitious investment projects as it will not only double the Port of Liverpool’s container capacity, but will also enable the port to handle the largest container ships in across the globe. In fact, the port will be able to handle two megamax vessels simultaneously, in comparison to the panamax vessels it can handle at present.

Milestones of the construction of Liverpool2 include the building of a 854 metre long quay wall, which will have a length and depth equivalent to 1065 London double decker buses; the 16.5 metre dredging of a 62 metre wide berthing pocket, 22 modern cantilever rail mounted gantry cranes, the eight metre dredging below chart

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datum of the approach channel, eight ship-to-shore gantry cranes and 17 hectares of newly created land mass. In fact, within Liverpool2’s newly created 213,000 metre squared landmass, you could fit all four of Liverpool and Manchester’s football stadiums.

Discussing the recent developments surrounding Liverpool2, David explains: “Over the last six months we have finished the quay wall piling construction and are completing the initial ground works. Moreover, the five ship-to-shore gantry cranes arrived on November 2nd.” These five cranes are the first of 17 that were ordered in April 2014 as part of a £100 million deal including 12 cantilever rail-mounted gantry cranes.

Phase two of the project will involve a further three STS cranes and ten CRMG cranes costing approximately £50 million that will also be built and delivered by ZPMC, the largest heavy duty equipment

manufacturer in the world. Viewed as a vital element of Liverpool2’s success, these cranes will dramatically increase the port’s productivity and efficiency, while also delivering costsavings to customers that use the Port of Liverpool as their UK gateway.

In line with these developments, the group has invested in the latest Navis N4 terminal operating system (TOS), which will enable it to streamline operations and align customer experience across its eight terminal sites within the UK and Ireland. With Liverpool2 serving as the enabling platform from which Peel Ports Group will standardise and centralise its TOS, this investment is certain to significantly enhance the group’s service offering as terminal operators will benefit from a flexible and scalable platform to optimise operations. Replacing the SPARCS 3.7 system and terminus, Navis N4 will be rolled out across all terminals over the next three to four years where it will enhance customer experience and deliver high value logistics solutions.

On top of these major developments, Peel Ports Group has also been developing Manchester Ship Canal into a new tri-modal hub, as David notes: “Phase one of this project is currently ongoing, with a new berth and quay being built over the next 12 months. This project is geared around getting more cargo connections between Liverpool and Manchester and is just one example of the work we have in place at the moment; we have around £650 million worth of projects on the go that have been completed or are due for completion this next calendar year.”

As it continues to set the foundations for continued growth and success, Peel Ports Group is set to flourish in a market that demands efficient and high quality services with fast turnaround times. “We want to continue growing both our portfolio and our market share, which ultimately comes down to the right level of customer service and the right logistical solutions. Because of this, we will continue to align our business with the solutions that our

customers require, which in turn will drive growth via increased volumes being handled throughout the business,” concludes David.

Port of Liverpool Ltd www.peelports.com

• Part of one of the UK’s largest port groups • Working on a new £100 million biomass terminal • Investing £300 million in creating Liverpool2

Alex Stewart Agriculture Alex Stewart Agriculture provides global biomass inspection, monitoring, sampling and temperature gauging services to the bio energy industry.

Quantity and quality inspection, loading supervision and discharge, sampling and size analysis, stockpile control, temperature are all carried out to international and GAFTA standards.

It also performs a full range of GAFTA approved analytical tests for biomass, bio-fuels and all related by-products in accordance with the international EN 14214 quality requirements.

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Profile: peel ports

Ready for

anything A

s the owner and operator of six UK ports and terminals, the Peel Ports Group today is renowned as one of the largest port groups in the country. Committed to investment that cements its future, the group has developed an increasingly diverse service offering, ensuring it is wholly capable of handling more than tens of millions in tonnes of cargo annually while servicing more than 100 destinations across the world.

By mixing flexibility, efficiency and promoting progressive partnerships, Peel Ports continues to provide its customers with state-of-the-art, superior solutions.

“The great thing about Peel Ports and particularly Liverpool is the diversity of portfolio and there are very few ports able to handle every commodity from containers, to cars, to bulks to roro to passengers,” begins David Huck, Ports Director of Peel Ports Group. “In terms of unitised cargos and in terms of bulk we handle dry bulk, liquid bulk, forest product, animal feed, grains, aggregates, so it is a very diverse

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portfolio. To further broaden our capabilities we are spending £650 million pounds of project investment in the port itself. The driver for this level of investment is our customers, not just the shipping lines but the cargo owners; it is a matter of understanding the shipping lines’ requirements and being innovative in understanding the cargo owners and their requirements for optimal supply chain management. We don’t see ourselves as a typical port, we are integrated into the supply chain; our operations are all about delivering client solutions while also delivering further value to our shareholders.

This is something that requires significant investment as the two go hand in hand.”

Indeed at the heart of Peel Ports operations and its incredible success is the Port of Liverpool, a significant asset that is one of the busiest and most diverse ports in the UK; capable of handling more than 30 million tones of cargo per annum, the port has been drastically enhanced over recent years thanks to vast investments in facilities and

Salvesen UK Ltd

Salvesen UK Ltd have been established in the Port of Liverpool for over 30 years. They are Peel Ports preferred diving contractor and have carried out thousands of successful diving operations for Peel Ports and previously Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, Manchester Ship Canal Company. The workforce within the company have a vast knowledge of Peel Ports’ underwater infrastructure and have been called upon on numerous occasions to assist Peel Ports in various emergency situations to enable the business to continue to operate. Salvesen UK Ltd are looking forward to continuing this excellent relationship with Peel Ports for many years.

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Profile: peel ports

Denholm Handling

Denholm Handling are committed to providing a complete and excellent service to ensure their customers benefit from the best possible solution in port centric and inland warehousing and distribution services across the UK. Working in partnership with Peel Ports in Liverpool, Denholm Handling are able to offer extensive and fully equipped facilities and take great pride in providing innovative solutions to demanding fulfilment and distribution challenges.

Warehousing is no longer just a question of providing safe and secure storage. To be competitive in the 21st century, efficient and cost-effective solutions require extensive experience, in-depth knowledge and creative thinking. Denholm Handling are in a prime position to deliver on all three. .

Blue Arrow Group

In February, Blue Arrow joined forces with Peel Ports to provide bespoke on-site recruitment solutions at the Port of Liverpool, replacing the previous agency of nineteen years.

Working alongside site management and listening closely to understand workers’ needs, the team have delivered many positive benefits including improving safety and introducing more comprehensive training programmes to upskill over 50% of the 300 strong workforce.

Recently, Blue Arrow were instrumental in managing negotiations to introduce a new ground-breaking three-year pay deal, delivering greater work-life balance for Port Operatives and securing a more sustainable future for the port.

equipment. A notable example of this is the completion of phase one of the £100 million biomass terminal at the port, which is soon to support the EU’s largest decarbonisation project at Drax Power Station. The terminal will be able to handle three million tonnes of wood pellets per annum as part of the decarbonisation of Drax Power Station, the UK’s single largest generator of renewable power.

When opened, four trains a day will carry wood pellets, a by-product of the commercial forestry and saw-milling industry in the US, from North America to Drax to supply the Selby-based power station with an affordable and sustainable low carbon fuel source. Generating approximately 86 per cent carbon savings in comparison to coal, the

use of wood pellets by Drax is a key part of the UK’s efforts to meet its 2020 renewable targets while keeping energy costs down for consumers and businesses. Once the terminal is fully completed in 2016, all wood pellets arriving at the Port of Liverpool will be sent to Drax by rail via custommade biomass rail wagons.

“With phase one of our new biomass offering completed and phase two due for completion in summer 2016, we will go live next year with the full turnkey solution,” says David, who continues to explain the group’s other developments since it was previously featured in Shipping & Marine magazine in March 2015: “On top of this, we have introduced another 500,000 square feet of warehousing in the Port of Liverpool www.shipping-and-marine.com - 81

Profile: peel ports

Efficio

Efficio are proud to have supported Peel Ports Group over the last 18 months, helping transform and modernise the Group’s supply chain and procurement organisation. A permanent Efficio team is located with Peel staff, providing an integrated managed procurement service.

Efficio are responsible for procuring all 3rd party expenditure, including Capital projects.

We are also responsible for ongoing supplier performance management of core operational categories such as logistics, labour and mobile assets, utilising Efficio’s best-practice processes and systems to drive additional value and performance. Efficio’s Account Director, Ian Bolger commented: “we enjoy an excellent partnership with the Peel Ports Group and look forward to supporting them in the future as they deliver their exciting business plans.” .

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and have introduced new harbour mobile cranes as well as a number of new mobile hopper units. We are also in the throes of consolidating our automated steel terminal, which we have doubled in size; our new facility will come on stream

in January. In addition, we have started the commissioning phase of Liverpool2 and had five ship-to-shore cranes delivered in November 2015; these cranes are the first phase of Liverpool2, while the CRMG cranes get delivered in March, these too will also go through commissioning. Our deep-water service capability will be available from the first quarter of 2016.”

Arriving in November 2015 from Shanghai, the five 92 metre cranes are the first of eight to be installed at the new £300 million Liverpool2 deepwater container terminal. Produced

by Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co (ZPMC) as part of a contract worth more than £100 million, the cranes will help enable Liverpool2, as the UK’s largest transatlantic deep-sea port and container terminal, to accommodate the majority of the world’s current container vessels, which reach up to 20,000 TEU. The

new terminal has 850m of new quay while the cranes operate at speeds in excess of 30 moves per hour; they will also be able to twin-pick and have outreach of 24 containers up to ten high on deck and safe work loads of up to 85 tonnes. The cranes will also be able to operate in wind speeds of up to 55 miles per hour.

By combining infrastructure with technology, Peel Ports will reduce the time it takes to transfer containers from port to road or rail and thus help the Port of Liverpool reach its targets of 65 per cent of haulage turned around in 30 minutes and 95 per cent of haulage turned in around 60 minutes.

With BG Freight announcing a new schedule that will increase the frequency of its services in the Irish Sea routes in response to the creation of Liverpool2 and customer demand, Peel Ports is certain to be busy as customers tap into the benefits of

deep sea vessels calling at the terminal via an integrated approach to short sea shipping and cargo handling.

Although the future looks positive for the highly successful group, Peel Ports will maintain its leading reputation by continuing to evolve and innovate in response to market trends and the needs of its customers.

“Our business is about pushing boundaries, being more innovative and responding to the requirements of customers. Throughout 2016 we

will ensure all of the investments that we have put into place this year are turnkey enabled and deliver the performance that our customers require,” he concludes.

Peel Ports

http://peelports.com • One of the UK’s largest port groups • Record numbers of business in 2015 • £650 million worth of live investment projects

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Profile: MAATS TECH MAATS 2 Jaw tensioner loading Flex Pipe in the Gulf of Mexico

In

demand O riginally founded with a focus on specialist subsea vessel design and shipyard supervision, MAATS Tech has since developed its services over the last 25 years to become a marine engineering organisation with a major presence in the offshore engineering industry.

Acting as a main contractor throughout the design, build and installation process for both on-deck and below deck carousels alongside a variety of loading and unloading equipment, MAATS Tech has used its expertise in turnkey shipbased carousel systems to supply approximately 50 carousels to around 30 different types of vessel.

Viewed as a world leader in the supply of carousels that are installed below deck, MAATS Tech enjoyed a record-breaking year in 2014 in this business segment. However, with cable lay businesses looking to deliver cabling to offshore platforms, windfarms and, in some cases, power from one island to another through the utilisation of DC power instead of AC, the company also made the strategic decision to progress from

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pipe lay vessels into cable lay vessels in 2014.

This expansion into the cablelaying sector has proven fruitful for MAATS Tech, with the company taking on a number of projects since it was last featured in Shipping & Marine magazine in March 2015, as Managing Director of MAATS Tech Ltd John Holt discusses: “The progression from umbilical/flex lay to cable lay has been fairly smooth sailing, mainly because the new era of cable lay product is large diameter rather than the old traditional communication and A/C power lines. Diameters and minimum bend radii of the new cables matches in many cases that of the subsea flex umbilicals so the MAATS equipment was easily adapted/transferrable into almost a parallel industry.

“As such, 2015 has been a year of concentration on progressing and meeting the time and quality requirements of our order book. In the period March this year to end November MAATS will have installed and commissioned some five carousel systems in a variety of shipyards in Holland, Norway and Korea.

This has meant further investment in resources both full time and contract and has seen a strengthening of our team in way of hydraulic and software (control systems) capability.”

Following this spate of projects, MAATS Tech announced it had been awarded a major new contract in 2015 after signing a contract with Kleven shipyard in Norway for the delivery and integration of cable lay mission equipment for ABB Ltd’s new state-of-the-art cable lay vessel.

MAATS Tech has been working closely with ABB, Kleven and the ship designers Salt Ship to develop a fit for purpose and highly specialised vessel.

“The ABB project is a milestone in MAATS contracts for design and build. The contract to MAATS is from the vessel builder Kleven Verft AS but the concept was ABB generated and brought together by Salt Ship Design and MAATS,” says John. “The scope of supply from MAATS is in the design, provision and installation of two carousels, one on-deck of 7000Te, one below deck of 4000Te capacity plus associated roller pathways, intermediate cable

transporter (small tensioners) main four-jaw lay and load tensioners and over boarding chutes. The first for MAATS in this scope is the design/ development of the overall lay system control. This will be enabled by close liaison with our electrical systems provider Europe Marine Control B.V. (EMC) in Holland, who MAATS has worked with for over 15 years, and our recent strategic uptake of Hydraulic and Software personnel.”

He continues: “The reason for ABB choosing MAATS is certainly not price, we are probably middle to high hitters in that league. This project comes on the back of ABB use of the Aker Connector, now Lewek Connector, for its first project to lay 9000 tonnes of power line between Northern Ireland and the UK. The equipment MAATS provided for this project was similar and the project went very well in adverse weather conditions – this coupled to the fact that MAATS have extremely competent concept engineers who also understand vessel dynamics and

can work with the vessel designer in defining the vessel structure and the equipment interfaces. For example, MAATS has assisted Salt Ship Design with Finite Element Analysis and scantling definition for the hull and the combined carousel units.”

This project is also a milestone for the company in that two new products will be used on the vessel: a four-jaw tensioner designed specifically for handling power cable, transporters (wheeled tensioners) and a modular tower system for the lay of specific products.

As the company focuses on completing its healthy order book over the next 12 months, it is also looking to develop new equipment for the crossover of the flex pipe and power cable laying business while the oil and gas industry recovers from a sluggish period of activity. “We will be looking at resources, possible strategic acquisition and of course marketing ourselves on the back of what we have achieved and our increased capability,” concludes John.

4 Jaw top entry cable lay tensioner

MAATS Tech

www.maats.co.uk • Marine engineering consultancy for bespoke equipment and special ship design • Expansion into cable-laying vessels • Awarded major contract with Kleven/ABB delivery 2017

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Profile: PORT OF Constantza

Constant change T

ightly connected to the City of Constantza, the Port of Constantza’s history can be traced as far back as the 6th Century, when it operated as an emporium for Greek merchants and locals. Today known as the Eastern gate of Europe thanks to its location on the very Eastern part of Romania, the Port of Constantza is in its third year of privatisation while under the helm of NC Maritime Ports Administration SA Constantza; the organisation has taken the role of port authority for the Romanian Ports Constantza, Midi and Mangalia and, as such, aims to provide high quality and competitive services to the each of the ports’ customers. It also strives 86 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

to offer a developed transport infrastructure, security, safety and environmentally friendly port conditions, which will thus attract cargo traffic and further transform the port into a vital transit centre.

The key regular lines calling at the port are containers, cruise lines and ro-ro/ferries.

As one of the main distribution centres for the Central and Eastern European markets, the Port of Constantza is located at the crossroads of the trade routes linking landlocked countries to areas such as Transcaucasus, Central Asia and the Far East. Taking advantage of its enviable location, the port has developed excellent connections through the Corridor IV (rail and

road) and the Corridor VII – Danube (an inland waterway), to which it is linked by the Danube – Black Sea Canal. This is one of the main strengths of the port, as the Danube is one of the most advantageous modes of transport due to low costs and the high cargo volumes that can be carried. Additionally, the port also uses the Corridor IX (road), which passes through Bucharest.

On top of its enviable connections, the multi-purpose Port of Constantza offers many advantages to customers; these include modern facilities and sufficient water depths in the port basins, which enable it to accommodate the largest vessels as they pass through the Suez Canal.

It is also a hub for the container

traffic in the Black Sea, has strong connections with all modes of transport, land availability for future expansion and has been a Free Zone since 1st January 2007.

To further strengthen its strong reputation as the Eastern Gate of Europe, the port has undergone infrastructure developments over recent years; these include the completion of the northern breakwater, which was extended by 1050 metres. Valued at 616,101,412 lei, the project was undertaken to improve operating conditions by decreasing the waves agitation in the port aquatory, which would increase safety for vessels by ensuring the protection of port channels and minimising the

destructive effects of waves on port facilities. With work beginning on March 8th 2013, the completion of this project is anticipated to increase productivity at the port as 25 per cent of productivity decrease will be eliminated at the berths, while idle time during bad weather will be eliminated at the barges. The project will also further increase the reliability of the port’s operation schedule and open up opportunities for developments at the southern part of the port in the future. Moreover, it has led to the creation of 450 new jobs during the implementation phase and ten jobs during the phase of operation.

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Profile: PORT OF Constantza

DP World Constanta Constanta South Container Terminal SRL is DP World’s Romanian subsidiary company and started operations in 2004 as a brand new state-of-the-art facility located near the entrance to Constanta Port and enjoying excellent deep-draft access. DP World Constanta operates over of a total quay length of 1045 m. Combined with an excellent deep draught of minimum 14.5 m, DP World Constanta is able to accommodate and operate the largest capacity vessels entering the Black Sea and is proud to service the leading global shipping lines. The main advantage of using the Port of Constanta and thus DP World Constanta is represented by the fact that Constanta is the entry point to transport large volumes of containers far into Europe: fast, frequent, reliable and cost-efficient in the European hinterland. All kinds of transportation infrastructure are available: road, rail and trans-shipment facilities in the ports and in the hinterland.

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of the Danube-Black Sea Canal has recently been completed, resulting in the possibility of connecting the port of Constantza with the Bucharest – Constantza highway via the Constantza City bypass. This project has also created an alternative route through the building of an access road to the existing national road while also providing a direct link between the North and South areas of the port without transiting the town.

Valued at 191,797,112 lei, the project has resulted in the placing of the cable-stayed bridge, which boasts a total length of 360 metres. There are also viaducts of access to the bridge, such as a viaduct on the left bank with a length of 281.15 metres, which leads towards Constantza and has eight openings, and a viaduct on the right bank, which has a length of 262.42 metres and leads towards Agigea; this too has eight openings.

Both projects were financed through the Sectorial Operational Programme for Transport (SOP-T 2007-2013), from EU structural funds (85 per cent) and from the state budget (15 per cent).

Moving forward, the Port of Constantza’s operations are to be further enhanced as NC Maritime Ports Administration SA Constantza seeks further infrastructure developments that are anticipated to reach up to 918 million euros.

Although it is already entrenched in history, these ongoing improvements will ensure the port remains a vital hub for many years to come.

Port of Constantza

www.portofconstantza.com • In third year of privatisation • Undergone infrastructure developments over recent years • Further investments could equal up to 918 million euros

Profile: UN Ro-Ro Isletmeleri AS

On a

ro-ro roll E

stablished by international transport organisations in 1994 with the goal of meeting demand for an alternative mode of transport to land routes, Turkey based UN Ro-Ro Isletmeleri AS has become one of the fastest growing freight ro-ro operators in the world. Not content with its successes over the last two decades, UN Ro-Ro completed a five-year 260 million euro investment in its 12 vessel fleet in 2014; a strategic development that has resulted in the company having extra capacity to meet a 60 per cent increase in truck transportations to Europe. This investment also means the company is fully prepared for Turkey’s foreign trade target of $1 trillion by 2023.

Other notable developments for the organisation include a change in shareholders, with Kohlberg Kravis Robert’s (KKR) shares of the business being acquired in 2014 by two Turkish groups.

Indeed, 2014 was a milestone in UN-Ro Ro’s 21 year history, with the company implementing its long-term strategy of becoming an intermodal infrastructure provider. In line with its plans to strengthen lines with new train services and connections with European ports, the company acquired a 60 per cent share in the port of

Trieste’s Samer Seaports terminal in Italy in December 2013. As the operators of this terminal, UN Ro-Ro has decided to invest in trains that connect Trieste with several European destinations with the goal of loading all units that are discharged from its ships onto the trains in the future.

Key to strengthening its expanding network is the company’s successful partnership with Rail Cargo Group; beginning in 2005, the two organisations work together to connect all lines and export destinations in Turkey with Europe wherever it is possible to help meet

Turkey’s aim of bringing 25 per cent of the heavy goods road vehicles onto the railway. This development, either directly through railway utilisation or a combination with Ro-Ro, would result in an extra 30,000 trucks per year and 1000 additional block trains per year.

The first step in this partnership was established in November 2013 when the two companies launched the UN Rail Austria Shuttle, a joint sea-rail service, which connects Trieste with Wels. Implemented with the innovative semi-trailer handling unit (ISU), the shuttle service can transport non-craneable semi-trailers by rail and handle all common semi trailers with ease. With a delivery time of four days, the UN Rail Austria Shuttle is one of the quickest connections for those wanting to transport goods from Istanbul to Germany. The benefits of using UN Ro-Ro’s environmentally friendly UN Rail Austria Shuttle for customers include being able to load their cargo onto the train and pick it up at their final destination without any issues caused by driving restriction permits.

Despite a busy two years behind it, UN Ro-Ro has pressed forward with further investments in the new terminal and expansions, as Sedat Gümüsşoğlu, CEO UN RO-RO www.shipping-and-marine.com - 89

Profile: UN Ro-Ro Isletmeleri AS

Isletmeleri A.S. highlights: “Over the last two years we have been transforming into an intermodal platform rather than a ro-ro operator; as such, our goals for 2015 were to improve our position in the market and increase our market share through expansion while also providing services to the Western side of Istanbul from the Port of Trieste. Now we are in the final quarter of 2015 I can say, aside from the new terminal, that we have reached all of our targets. For example, looking at the market share for truck cargo and the ro-ro market, we still have 65 per cent market share among the three ro-ro operators, while the two other ro-ro operators share the remainder of the market.

“We have also expanded our market share by adding new capacity to the current routes, with the France route’s capacity increased by 50 per cent; this new venture has proven itself successful as the route is currently operating with 80 to 85 per cent capacity. Meanwhile, although we were previously defining ourselves as a ro-ro operator serving the truck cargo market, we have also been introducing new products to our range over the last two years; these include tank containers and 45 feet high cube containers. These additional products have taken up roughly ten per cent of our current capacity since they were first introduced two years ago,” he adds.

In addition to these developments, UN Ro-Ro is introducing new train services and connecting several destinations in Europe from the Trieste terminal. So far more than 20 per

cent of the semi-trailers the company is carrying are being transferred to its intermodal services between Luxembourg and Duisburg, as well as Salzburg and Wels of Austria.

“When we began our intermodal transportation four years ago the number of semi trailers being transferred from our vessels was five per cent; in 2015 it is 20 per cent and we aim to increase this to 50 per cent of our cargo being transported via intermodal services from areas such as Germany and France. We would also like to have train connections from the Port of Toulon to inland France, most notably Paris, as we are seeing demand for this service from our customers,” says Sedat.

Although these lines are currently unavailable from the Port of Toulon, UN Ro-Ro is in discussions with local authorities, particularly the mayor of the region who is in support of this idea, as Sedat notes: “The mayor and chamber of commerce (CCIV) has agreed to support an investment and try to make Toulon a hub for some of the destinations on the intermodal service.”

Alongside these positive new developments are new challenges, as infrastructure intermodal service developments require improved infrastructure at the ports. “The infrastructure at the ports is not sufficient for these additional services, so we are now in contact with the Trieste Port Authority and some local authorities to improve the level of quality for trains and expand the parking area. I believe by the end of this year these projects

will be agreed and these investments will take place during 2016.”

Focused on its long-term goal of becoming an intermodal infrastructure provider, UN Ro-Ro will continue to enhance its services with further lines and routes as well as investments in terminal and train facilities to make this goal a reality. “The total tracked cargo from Turkey to Europe is divided in two, with 50 per cent going to ro-ro operators and 50 per cent going to the land routes. With this in mind, our long-term plan is to be the biggest provider of tracked cargo and the biggest leading infrastructure operator; these aims will continue throughout 2016 and 2017 and will, in the long run, enable us to offer an intermodal cargo flow,” concludes Sedat.

Sedat Gümüsşoğlu, CEO UN RO-RO Isletmeleri A.S.

UN Ro-Ro Isletmeleri AS

www.unroro.com.tr • One of the fastest growing ro-ro operators in the world • Converting into an intermodal infrastructure provider • New shareholders in 2014

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Profile: port of hanko

A global

hub

F

ounded in response to Finland’s industrialisation to export goods to the global market, the Port of Hanko has a history that dates back to 1873. Situated in the south of Finland, ice-free Hanko is the most southerly of all ports in the country and with external pressures rising on the shipping industry is most ideally placed to take advantage of a changing market. Currently the seventh largest port in Finland, and the largest for German Ro-Ro traffic, the Port of Hanko predominantly handles export of Finland’s paper products and import of consumer goods, demonstrating a healthy 52:48 balance between export and import, respectively. Amongst its most significant activities is its relationship 92 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

with the automotive industry, in which the port holds an 80 per cent market share for the import of new cars – around 100,000 units every year. Historically it has handled these volumes from two main harbours, the Western Port, for liner traffic, and the Outer Port for PCC vessels. However, with the recent acquisition of a former industrial port in Koverhar, 20km away, the port is set to expand significantly over the coming years.

With shipping partners such as Transfennica, SOL, Finnlines and Navirail, the Port of Hanko currently facilitates a number of daily calls from Europe. As of October, the port has so far received 1405 vessel calls during 2015 from many of Europe’s major ports. This includes 15 daily departures to Germany with

Transfennica, Finnlines and SOL calling at the ports of Lübeck and Rostock, and eight to Estonia, Port of Paldiski, and subsequently Eastern Europe, with Navirail.

“We have seen an increase in cargo volumes every year for the last three years,” begins CEO of the port, Anders Ahlvik. “By the end of this year we would have handled around four million tonnes, an increase of 15 per cent on 2014.” However, despite this positive growth at the Port of Hanko, Mr Ahlvik goes on to explain that this is not due to an overall increase in a European market that is showing little signs of activity growth. Instead he attributes it to the competitiveness of the port and the resulting increase in customers using Hanko over other Finnish Ports.

Koverhar harbour

“The key strength is our location,” he continues. “We are the closest to the rest of Europe over the Baltic Sea, and therefore can often provide the best gateway for the European market. With the sulphur directive coming into force, which will see the fuel price rise, shorter distances are going to become much more economical for shipping operators so they will benefit from our location.

We then make sure to support this with a highly professional offering of port services around the harbours and we are unusual in Finland in that the port is open 24/7 all year around.”

Part of the strategy to cope with rising demand for the port has been realised with the acquisition of Koverhar harbour. Covering more than 600 hectares and with an excellent fairway, Koverhar provides the opportunity for the Port of Hanko to increase its dry bulk cargo volumes. “We have started to market

this new harbour throughout 2015 and there has been a lot of interest in the space available,” says Mr Ahlvik. “It gives new customers new possibilities, and opens the port up even more to the global market. As the area becomes more and more popular for operators we are seeking to handle several million tonnes of cargo to double the volume of the

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Profile: port of hanko

Port of Hanko over the next ten to 15 years.”

By utilising the naturally deep fairway and by dredging the port area, Koverhar will eventually offer a complete 15.3 metre sailing depth, meaning it can accommodate any vessel within the Baltic Sea. Significantly, Mr Ahlvik comments on the new harbour’s location and the opportunities it represents to a far

larger market: “The Russian market is not far away at all and we are confident that once today’s situation with Russia is over we will be able to work very closely with that market and start seeing some key growth in terms of both import and export volumes.”

Keen not to focus all its attention on the establishment of Koverhar however, the Port of Hanko has also

been investing heavily into its two existing sites to increase capacity.

“We are planning to deepen the fairway to the outer port to a sailing dept of 9.2 metres and are investing into the repair and upgrade of our quay there to handle up to 200 metre vessels – it currently stands at 160 metres. This will start over the coming months to be finished in 2016,” Mr Ahlvik explains. “Also as we are dredging we hope to use the collected sand to build and rebuild new spaces in the western port to give us more land to handle lorries and trailers, which is the main volume for liner traffic.”

With potentially challenging market conditions in its favour and a strong service capability supporting its growth, outlook for the Port of Hanko looks positive. “The future will be focused on increasing volumes,” adds Mr Ahlvik. “It will be about carrying on with business as usual and making sure we continue this strong offering. We have a new customer coming on board at the beginning of 2016 and this relationship alone will significantly increase our steel handling volumes at the port, for instance. In the longer term it is difficult to predict, but everything is heading in the right direction at present and we are confident that this will continue over the coming years.”

Port of Hanko

www.portofhanko.fi • Most southerly port in Finland • Largest Finnish Ro-Ro port serving the German market • Plans to increase capacity with the opening of a third harbour

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Profile: POST WORKBOATS

A versatile

O

riginally established as a seller of wooden boats more than 60 years ago, family run business Post Workboats has more than 30 years experience as a reliable partner of boat insurance companies and damage experts. During this time, the company has also worked on the water and used this knowledge for its operations today as a specialist in rigid inflatable boats (RIB). Keen to meet the needs of its customers, the company has established four foundations within its business: the sale of professional Tornado RIBS, the rental of RIBs with or without crew, specially constructed workboats or the modification of boats for special projects, and the salvage of leisure boats in water; this is specifically for yachts located in Lake Ijsselmeer.

Proud of its flexibility and the versatility of its RIBs, Post Workboats has established a strong customer

vessel

base, including government sectors such as the police force in Holland, as well as clients in the offshore and marine seismic industry. As RIBs can be used in a wide range of applications, they are often able to operate in rescue operations at sea, coast guard activities, patrols and military operations, as Klaas Post, Managing Director at Post Workboats discussed with Shipping & Marine in January 2014: “We have two very fast Tornado boats with 600 horsepower and speed of 60 knots that we use for salvage missions on the water. We have years of experience collecting vessels in trouble, bringing them to safe harbour and repairing the boat. Equally, working with them daily means we know the boats extremely well. We can do everything with these boats.”

As market trends evolve and customer requirements become increasingly more demanding, Post Workboats has responded with

innovation; this has not only been through creating thinner, lighter and stronger Tornado vessels with increased acceleration of up to 110 kilometres per hour, but also by partnering with KD Workboats to create the ultimate RIB: the Seahunter.

“The Seahunter eight metre is based on a well proven design from another boat, however we have made an aluminium version of this and used a foam tube instead of a standard tube.

This is a very special development as we wanted a boat that is indestructible and can not leak in harsh conditions.

For the development of Seahunter we worked together with KD Workboats, our neighbour, and set up Workboats. nl. We chose KD Workboats as our partner, not only because we work close to one another, but also because the company makes perfect aluminium boats. We normally produce fibre glass polyester RIBs, but this time we instead decided to build a boat similar www.shipping-and-marine.com - 95

Profile: POST WORKBOATS

to our own; this decision to use a well proven design gave us confidence that the produced boat would be perfect.”

By working together the two companies have developed the ultimate vessel when it comes to operations within the offshore, seismic, rescue and salvage and nautical sectors.

This is thanks to the Seahunter’s remarkable handling characteristics as well as its superior maneuverability, speed and optimum buoyancy. Because the water effectively flows off the hull, the boat remains dry at top speeds and with two-and-a-half foot waves.

However, should water get into the vessel, the cockpit eradicates any issues as it is completely self-bailing.

Additionally, the deck is treated with the same material used to finish the fender, which makes it impossible for water, oil or lubricant to create slippery surfaces.

The boats hull is made of five millimeter of marine grade aluminium, which has been welded in full to achieve exceptional strength.

Meanwhile, in contrast to a RIB, the Seahunter has a special D-fender instead of an air-filled tube, which removes the risk of leakage. Supplied

by Fender Innovations, the fender is based on a foam core with a closedcell structure that does not absorb 96 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

water and thus ensures continued buoyancy in all circumstances.

Additionally, the foam core is extremely light and strong as it is wrapped with a reinforced technical fabric, which is then coated with a layer of special polymer. Available in various models, possible options for the fender include a bullet proof ballistic fender up to NIJ4 class or specially impregnated fenders that can withstand heat up to 200 degrees Celcius; these are mainly used as fire fighting vessels.

At eight by 2.30 metres, the highly versatile Seahunter has a passenger capacity of nine people and can be transported easily in a shipping container or on a trailer, a particularly important detail for those operating globally within the oil and offshore industry. Available in fully-equipped or standard models, the Seahunter can also be customised with a dive door in the side, for example, or have the number of seats adapted or be adapted to have more or less storage space.

Highlighting the benefits of its newest innovation, Klaas states: “The Seahunter absolutely can not leak as we have one of the best foam fenders on it; you can hit it with a sharp knife and it doesn’t leak, which offers reassurance to those wanting

to rent it. The boat can also fit into a container, can be transported easily across the globe and is also very fast without sacrificing passenger comfort on a rough sea. At the moment the Seahunter is on rental for the wind farm industry and we will be looking to rent it out for other projects in the coming months.”

Having generated a great deal of interest for the Seahunter at the Europort 2015 convention, Post Workboats looks to 2016 with confidence as it focuses on renting boats and increasing awareness of the Seahunter’s capabilities while offering the full package to clients. Available for the sale, lease and development of special facilities, equipment installation, software updates, service and maintenance, crew training and the instruction of employee’s technical services, Post Workboats is ready and waiting to find solutions in a short time frame and to the utmost quality for its diverse customer base.

Post Workboats

www.postworkboats.nl/en • Specialist in Rigid Inflatable Boats • Recently launched Sea Hunter RIB • Assistance, rental and sales, salvage

Seahunter, super-fast and extremely manoeuvrable With its latest boat, Workboats.nl, a partnership between KD Workboats and Post Workboats, has developed the ultimate vessel that can be used for an extremely wide range of applications: the Seahunter. Its remarkable handling characteristics make the vessel perfect for applications such as offshore, the seismic industry, rescue and salvage companies and other nautical sectors.

“The Seahunter is based on a well proven hull design,” explains Klaas Post, owner of Post Workboats.

“The RIB is highly manoeuvrable, extremely fast and has excellent handling characteristics. The aluminium Seahunter combines the advantages of both a trusted hull design and of an aluminium vessel. The hull is made of 5mm marine grade aluminium. To achieve optimal strength, this is welded in full to produce an extremely strong vessel. In contrast to a RIB (rigid inflatable boat), the Seahunter has a special D-fender instead of an air-filled tube. An air-filled tube can leak in certain circumstances, while the special fender we use will never lose buoyancy under any circumstances. This is currently the best fender that is available anywhere in the world.”

globally,” says Van Veen, owner of KD Workboats. “You can easily put the containers on a ship for transport. But the Seahunter can also be transported very well on a trailer. This makes the Seahunter excellent for use as a rescue or salvage vessel.” The handling behaviour is also very important for this. “The water effectively flows off the hull, keeping the boat dry even at top speed and with two and a halve foot waves. And if water does get into the vessel, it is absolutely no problem because the cockpit is completely self-bailing. The deck is treated with the same material that is used to finish the fender. Therefore, water, oil or lubricants will never cause slippery surfaces.” The standard Seahunter model is 8 m long with a 200 hp motor, available from €99,000 plus VAT.

The organisation Workboats.nl is a partnership between KD Workboats and Post Workboats. These companies each have over 30 years of experience in the maritime industry. Workboats.nl specialises in the development and production of fully equipped vessels for rescue and salvage companies, the offshore and the seismic industry and other nautical sectors.

Customers can rely on worldwide 24/7 service.

Custom made The Seahunter is available in a fully-equipped standard model, but can also be fully customised, for example with a dive door in the side, an adapted number of seats and more or less storage or work space. “The fender is also an important component,” says Post. “Fender Innovations, the company that supplies this product, manufactures it from one piece. It is based on a foam core with a closed- cell structure. This material does not take up water so that the buoyancy remains intact under all circumstances.

The foam core is wrapped with a reinforced technical fabric, which is in turn coated with a layer of special polymer. The structure is extremely light and strong.” The fender is available in various models. “Possible options include a ballistic fender up to NIJ4 class, which is bullet proof, or specially impregnated fenders that can withstand heat up to 200°C and are used for fire fighting vessels. Furthermore, the damping characteristics can be set up exactly as desired and of course it is also possible to combine different damping characteristics into one fender.”

Easy to transport and perfect handling characteristics The dimensions of the boat, 8 by 2.30 metres, were chosen so that the Seahunter can be transported in a shipping container. “This is particularly important for organisations in the oil and offshore industry that operate

Technical specifications Seahunter 8 m Length: 8.00 metres Beam: 2.30 metres Draught: 1.00 metre/0.50 metre trimmed up Maximun speed: 100 kilometres per hour Operational range: 500 kilometres Weight: 1,100 kg Motors: max. 300 hp engine power Passenger capacity: 9 people www.shipping-and-marine.com - 61

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Profile: IBIA

Embracing

change

C

elebrating 21 years as the voice of the marine fuel supply chain in 2014, the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) has steadily grown over the years to accumulate a global membership of approximately 750 organisations and members across 70 countries. Indeed, an ever growing list of ship owners, charterers, bunker suppliers, port authorities, lawyers, brokers, traders, barging companies, storage firms, P&I clubs, credit reporting companies, shipping journalists, marine consultants and fuel testing companies all benefit from the information, training, representation at IMO and networking opportunities that IBIA offers.

Since the organisation was previously featured in Shipping & Marine in March 2015 there has been continued growth and development in line with the evolving demands of the shipping industry, as Capt

Peter Hall CEO of IBIA discusses: “We have continued to focus on membership growth through which we can continue to increase membership benefits, which has increased by 15 per cent over the last nine months; this is really encouraging and a result of us broadening our membership base into developing regions such as the Indian Ocean, which is looking to develop its bunker industry. We have also been looking at the major shipping routes and seeing opportunities in places such as the Seychelles and Mauritius, and we have been in discussions with the governments of these areas so they can develop the bunkering industry which is a multiplier to the economy.

We also recently had our convention in Mexico on the back of government de-regulations that have led to Mexico’s oil industry, complete with its tremendous reserves, being open to foreign investment.”

He continues: “At the same time we have also continued to support

the established bunker industries in Singapore and recently held the sold out IBIA in Asia Forum in November 2015. More than 230 people attended the forum to hear about mass flow meters, electronic bunker delivery notes and other developments that are making operations, faster, smarter and enabling more information to be delivered for the end user.”

Titled ‘The Singapore Bunkering Scene – Looking Ahead’, the threehour IBIA in Asia Forum focused on themes such as fuel quality trends, distillate and new fuel challenges, maximising value of residual fuels through understanding fuel quality and the functions of chemical additives and also mass flow metering. Due to become mandatory for marine fuel deliveries from 1st January 2017, Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) mass flow metering (MFM) systems must be installed on bunker tankers operating with a Singapore harbour licence by 31st December

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Profile: IBIA

Capt Peter Hall CEO of IBIA

2017. As the world’s leading bunker port, with more than 40 million tonnes of marine fuels sold annually, this new regulatory requirement will further improve transparency, accuracy and efficiency when it comes to bunker supplies in Singapore.

In fact, the introduction of mass flow metering will ensure bunker volume determination is as simple as taking fuel for a car as the received quantity can be read from a meter. The system also has an accuracy level of +/0.5 per cent and offers measurement directly in mass, with no volume conversion required.

IBIA in Singapore currently delivers a training course about explaining the operation of MFM and the implementation process and standards required.

Committed to embracing and adapting to change, the IBIA has spent the majority of 2015 building on its strong foundations through the continued provision of open communication, education, training initiatives and relevant information on new processes such as mass flow metering.

On top of this, the IBIA has also begun working on a pilot scheme with South Tyneside College to support specific bunker information going into the curriculum at maritime colleges.

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“While we have this pilot scheme, we are also looking to expand to other maritime colleges and have been in discussion with the maritime college in Mauritius and Africa. We have also worked with maritime colleges in Singapore for some years now; it is really about building on our strengths while also focusing on our ethos of communication and education,” says Peter.

“We have also been focused on embracing and adopting change and have given a number of forums with regards to new fuels that are coming onto the market; I am talking about the low sulphur fuel oils that the oil majors have introduced. In line with this development, we have received technical information that we are putting into the industry with regards to compatibility and the integrity of fuel supply to ensure these new fuels are supported and there is sufficient information available. On the other side of this, we are also continuing to support wider distribution of information on alternative fuels such as LNG and methanol. We are in a changing world and we will support those in the bunker industry as they make long-term decisions when it comes to emission control areas and fuel availability so they make the right choices for the future. It is still

early days when it comes to emission control areas and there is a number of AIS (Automatic Identification systemsthese provide a snail trail for shipping across the globe) providers that have provided us with possible changing patterns of shipping when it comes to these areas; this information will be monitored and as more details are provided we will be able to give our members a more informed picture.”

With its 2016 events calendar now launched, the IBIA will remain focused on providing forums for thought leadership, training and support to the industry across each region in the world. “This is our target for 2016, to be as visible as possible in the market place with relevant information that meets the needs of the shipping community,” concludes Peter.

“There is only one international industry association, consequently one voice, we aim therefore to influence and shape choices, for the benefit of the shipping industry.”

IBIA

www.ibia.net • Works closely with members on industry issues • Has representation at ISO, CIMAC and Energy Institute • Recently sold out a forum in Asia

Profile: Institute of Marine Research

Plans on

H

ice

eadquartered in Bergen, the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) is Norway’s largest centre of marine science; its core operations are based on providing advice to Norwegian authorities on aquaculture and the ecosystems of areas such as the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the North Sea and the Norwegian Coastal zone.

Heavily engaged in the development aid activities through the Centre for Development Co-operation in Fisheries, the organisation operates not only at its headquarters, but also at its department in Tromso, at research stations in Matre, Austevoll and Flodevigen and also on board its research vessels to ensure Norway’s marine resources are harvested in a sustainable manner.

The main activities for IMR are monitoring, research and advice; this is carried out in thematic research groups that deliver results to its research and advisory programmes. Playing an integral role in its operations is the continuous collection of large amounts of data from Norwegian seas through the utilisation of vessels, observation buoys, manual measurements, gliders and other equipment. IMR’s six research vessels and a high number of hired commercial vessels are at sea for more

than 2000 days every year.

Responsible for delivering advice to the authorities, industry and general society, the programmes IMR is involved in are also expected to identify scientific challenges for the research groups within the organisation to solve. Research groups within IMR include Benthic communities and coastal interactions, deep-water species and cartilaginous fish, animal welfare, marine ecosystem acoustics, population genetics, disease and pathogen transmission and marine mammals.

This close connection between the collection of data, research and advice enables those involved to create strong opportunities to improve the monitoring process, add new information and knowledge through scientific operations and offer comprehensive advice on the ecosystem itself.

Current programmes taking place include the Barents Sea ecosystem programme, the Norwegian sea ecosystem programme, The aquaculture programme, The biological mechanisms programme and MAREANO (the Marine AREAI database for Norwegian Waters) programme. The latter programme focuses on mapping depth and topography, sediment composition, biodiversity, habitats and biotypes

alongside pollution in the seabed in both the Norwegian coastal areas and offshore regions. The aim of this programme is to conduct base-line mapping of bottom habitats in these waters, and to convey this knowledge through MAREANO’s internet portal, which will thus offer the background information necessary for supporting future management decisions that will safeguard marine berthing organisms and protect vulnerable habitats.

Committed to its vision of delivering knowledge and advice that will help ensure rich and clean marine and coastal regions, the goal of IMR’s 730 staff is to be international leaders in marine research and management advice through integrity, co-operation, respect and taking pleasure in creating solutions.

As a partner of two major climate institutions, the Fram Centre, a high north research centre for climate and the environment, and the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, the organisation is also strongly focused on further understanding the complexities of nature and the effects of climate change.

One way the organisation is working towards increasing its knowledge in these two key areas is through its involvement in the build of a new research vessel, RV Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, www.shipping-and-marine.com - 101

Profile: Institute of Marine Research to work in developing countries and a new polar research vessel, the RV Kronprins Haakon. Following the Norwegian Government’s decision to build such a vessel in October 2012, IMR’s Managing Director Tore Nepstad, alongside Angela Fusco, Executive Senior Vice President Naval Vessels Italy, Ficantieri signed the contract on 29th November 2013 at the Fram Museum in Oslo. While the IMR is in charge of the project, Rolls Royce has designed the new vessel and Fincantieri, one of the largest shipbuilding groups in the world, will build it. RV Dr. Fridtjof Nansen is built at Godan Shipyard in Spain.

Costing approximately 175 million euros, the RV Kronprins Haakon represents innovation and optimum modernity and is viewed as an important step for all research institutions in Norway that are working in the northern and southern hemisphere. Scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2016, the vessel will be based in Tromso once completed and will operate under its formal owner, the Norwegian Polar Institute. It is anticipated the vessel will begin regular science cruises in the first quarter of 2017, with UiT, the Arctic University of

Fincantieri The Italian shipbuilder and shipdesigner Fincantieri is proceeding full speed ahead with the construction of the research icebreaker vessel ‘Kronprins Haakon’, ordered by the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs in November 2013: she will be delivered to the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) and to the Norwegian Polar Institute in 2017 and will operate in polar waters.

The ship is being built in the integrated shipyard of Riva Trigoso-Muggiano (near Genoa, Italy) in two sections that will be then joined at Muggiano site.

The order for the construction of the ship was acquired by Fincantieri following comparison with qualified international competitors after an international tender process.

The original design is by Rolls Royce Marine, in deep interaction and co-operation with the design dept. of the builder.

With a gross tonnage of 9,000 t, a length of over 100 m and a breadth of 21 m, the vessel will be able to accommodate 55 people in 38 cabins, will be one of the most advanced icebreakers in the world, and will provide a high-tech facility for the study of the marine environment.

The highest standards of comfort will be achieved also thanks to the experience of Fincantieri as designer and builder of cruise vessels (world leader), as well as the dramatic reduction of radiated noise underwater (required to allow studies on fish and marine mammals with the minimum environmental impact) will be possible also because of the great experience gained in the design of sophisticated naval vessels such as anti-submarine frigates.

With this ship and with the recent acquisition of the Canada-based designer of arctic vessels ‘Vard Marine’, Fincantieri takes a further step forward the world of the arctic vessels, both civilian and naval.

Norway, IMR and the Norwegian Polar Institute expected to be the biggest users of the vessel.

With a gross tonnage of 9000 tonnes, a length of over 100 metres and a breadth of 21 metres, the vessel will have capacity for 55 people, such as research personnel, students and crew, in 38 cabins and will be fitted out to provide superior levels of comfort for those on board. The roundness of the bow will enable the vessel to push through ice masses, however, under more harsh conditions, the vessel will also be able to climb on top of the ice of up to 1.5 metres thick and break through it that way also.

Because it is notoriously difficult to navigate vessels in icy regions, the bow of RV Kronprins Haakon will accommodate two helicopters; these will be used to scout for both ice leads and polar bears in advance of researchers embarking. On top of this, the vessel will also be equipped the technologically complex instrumentation that will make the investigation of the morphology and geology of the seabed possible.

As one of the most advanced icebreakers in the world, the RV Kronprins Haakon will provide users with an ultra-modern facility for the study of the marine environment.

Furthemore, in line with the ethics and operations of IMR, the vessel will also be built to ensure minimum

environmental impact as well as reduced radiation of noise underwater. This will allow studies and oceanographic and hydrographic research activities to take place in any area of operation across the globe in a sustainable manner.

Not only viewed as technological progression for Fincantieri, a specialist in the design and construction of complex ships with high technological content in the cruise, merchant, offshore, megayachts and naval markets, the RV Kronprins is also an integral part of Norway’s mission to better understand the modalities and consequence of climate change in both the Arctic and Antarctic.

As the need for research in the marine rich Polar regions continues to increase, the RV Kronprins Haakon is crucial for Norway to continue leading the way in climate and resource research in these areas. Furthermore, because the vessel is able to stay out at sea for up to six weeks at a time, it offers ample opportunity for IMR to continue its mission in new territory.

Institute of Marine Research www.imr.no/en • Norway’s largest centre of marine science • Provide advice on aquaculture and

ecosystems to Norwegian authorities • Involved in the build of a research vessel for Norwegian polar research and a new research vessel for use in developing countries

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Profile: VT Group

Strong roots W

Huisman Etech Experts With a wealth of experience and knowhow in the field of maritime electrotechnology, Huisman Etech Experts, established in 1955, are the ideal partner for total solutions. We offer smart and reliable installations and systems, engineered by a team of professionals that combines specialist knowledge with a renowned problem-solving capacity.

Innovative, intelligently engineered and reliable, our solutions are custom developed to seamlessly match your wishes and requirements. And you can continue to rely on the service engineers of Huisman Etech Experts long after delivery. Our Service & Maintenance department is available to ensure your installations operate at all times, wherever you are.

Huisman Etech Experts has offices in (NL) Druten – Elst – Nijmegen – (D) Hamburg – (FR) Monaco

ith roots dating as far back as 1916, the Port of Rotterdam headquartered VT Group was founded with the purpose of shipping and storing oil products.

As the petrochemical industry grew steadily over the years, the company saw opportunities to strategically expand its operations with a focus on shipping, which resulted in VT today leading the way as a maritime logistics service provider for clean and black minerals (fuels), lubricants and chemicals.

Part of the company’s success is its sophisticated fleet of 23 vessels.

Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the majority of the vessels is equipped with specialised bunker booms, cargo heating systems, sampling and blending equipment and state-ofthe-art gauging technology for cargo measurement. Further complementing this impressive and well-maintained fleet is the Vorstenbosch, which, at 13,317 metric tons, is the world’s largest tank barge. ‘’We try to stay ahead by acting as launching customer for groundbreaking innovations.’’ For example, VT was the first company to introduce a certified mass flow Coriolis system on board of its vessels together with a magnetic mooring system. These systems ensure transparency in bunkering on the one hand and quick and safe mooring on the other.

Viewed as a trusted partner for those requiring specialist sea and port services, the independent tank barge operator is

proud to deliver high quality services such as transporting and bunkering of mineral products, biofuels, chemicals and lubricants, chartering activities, fleet management and maritime consulting.

In addition to the standard service package of transporting and bunkering black and clean mineral products for customers within the ARA region (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp), the company also offers bunkering services to customers in, Germany, Sweden, Panama and Australia.

International expansion Not a company to rest on its laurels, the company opened its first international office in Panama in 2009 following a long-term customer’s request for seagoing barges on both sides of the Panama Canal. Having expressed ambition to share knowledge and experience with the international shipping industry, the company is now looking further afield in the Central American region as it continues to grow as a globally respected shipping firm.

“VT Group will be 100 years old next year and operates as a well-reputed transporter of fuels, chemicals and lubricants; we also deliver ship-to-ship transfers and bunkering services to our customers. Maersk is one of our biggest customers for bunkering in Rotterdam.

“We have also set up a transportation business in Sweden, which is currently in the first phase, and also have one seagoing vessel sailing for bunkering operations in Perth area, West Australia. www.shipping-and-marine.com - 105

Profile: VT Group

Alongside these strategic expansions, we are also looking to develop a presence in Brazil,” explains Hugo Sassen, Business Development at VT Group. “Our customers have worldwide operations and we are available to deliver our specialised services there where they need it.’

“Although there is an economic recession of 4.5 per cent GDB expected in Brazil in 2016, there are strong opportunities for us when it comes to the Brazilian bunkering industry. For example, there is the development of a port in the North of Rio de Janeiro, it will be a big port where bunkering activities are expected to take place. Not only do we see business opportunities in Brazil, but in Panama as well, as the Panama Canal is anticipated to complete its expansion works during 2016; this should naturally result in increasing bunker deliveries. Alongside bunkering in Panama we are also developing the transportation of containers on barges on the canal and anticipate an increase in this area as well.’’

Having begun operating in Panama with two inland water barges that perform bunker deliveries to vessels awaiting transits through the Canal as well as to vessels that perform cargo operations at the various container ports, VT has prepared for the increase in demand for bunkering activities in the area through the preparation of a container barge logistics system. To make this pioneering logistics system a success, the company has been seeking 106 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

out partnerships with complimentary shipping companies, with the goal of operating its barges under longterm charter and/or via container slot agreements with shipping lines.

Out of its 23-strong fleet, the company has had three vessels operating in Panama, the 3200 megatonne barge Vaals, the 4200 megatonne barge Venray and the 6900 tonne chemical tanker Vacamonte. The Vacamonte has recently been relocated for operations in Australia. Benefits of using barges over other transportation options include increased reliability, as there will be no roadblocks or repairs, traffic accidents or pilferage to think about. Moreover, one container barge can take almost 500 TEU, an amount that equals at least 250 trucks. This massive amount of cargo will then travel to its destination in a more environmentally friendly manner and at an accurate transit time due to the advantages of using the canal capacity and booking system.

Sustainability as pillar Proud to operate with a focus on sustainability, the company began a collaboration with BP on the EU Cleanest Ship Project in 2007, as Hugo notes: “This project began when we first chartered our lubricants vessel, Victoria, which is owned by BP but managed by us. We installed black carbon filters and used low sulphur fuel, which was also delivered by BP. The results of this were very positive when it came to emissions, so we decreased the nitrogen emissions

with 90 per cent, particle matter with 98 per cent and sulphur with almost 100 per cent. It was a highly successful project and we intend to maintain this focus on sustainability.

“For example together with the Green Award Foundation, which is an institution that has a mission to decrease emissions from ships. Eight of our 23 vessels under our management are sailing under the Green Award Foundation requirements, which makes it possible for us to comply with the CCR 2 launch/norms for emissions. This also makes it possible to have beneficial prices with the port authorities in Europe.”

The company also won the Green Shipping Award in Panama in 2013 following an impeccable track record of zero incidents and zero spills. “Our vessels are built according to highest standards here in the Netherlands and for this we were awarded the Green Shipping Award by the Panamanian Maritime Authority. We are proud of this award as it expresses our ambition to be a front runner in the field of social responsibility, not only in the Netherlands but everywhere we operate,” highlights Hugo.

Having earned a strong customer base of blue chip companies including Shell, BP, Akzo Nobel and Maersk, VT will remain focused on delivering services of an exceptional quality by improving and expanding its sophisticated fleet.

“We are a market leader when it comes to owned vessels in Rotterdam as most are on charter in the region. We do maintenance of our fleet, as well as technical management and manning, we really do arrange it all. We think it is important to combine craftsmanship with social responsibility and therefore we have developed a strong customer base over the years. It is magnificent to be able to grow internationally and and at the same time to deliver added value to society. We strive to do this for many years to come,” concludes Hugo.

VT Group

http://vtgroup.nl/en/home-2 • Independent tank barge operator • Owns a fleet that transports and

charters petrochemical fluids • One of its vessels is the biggest inland tanker in the world

Profile: Brødrene Aa As

Ferry high

A

standards

s a world leader in the design and manufacture of fast ferries, Brødrene Aa has established a proud reputation of innovative design and premier construction.

The company was founded in 1947 by brothers Olav Aa and Bertel Aa to build leisure craft in mahogany.

From its shipyard located in Hyen on the west coast of Norway, Brødrene gradually began the manufacture of larger passenger ferries in wood.

Later, during the 1970s the company switched to construction with composite building material, leading to the building of the first ever GRPSandwich vessel approved by DNV. The spirit of innovation continued within Brødrene throughout the 1980s, when the company first applied air cushion technology to passenger vessels, resulting in the development of surface effect ships capable of reaching speeds of 50 knots for the international market. During the 1990s Brødrene moved away from the construction of passenger craft and into the

development of luxury mega yachts, as well as focusing on diversified composite products such as trainfuselages and subsea protective covers. Its comprehensive composite production expertise allowed the company to re-enter the fast-ferry market during the early 2000s with the construction of commercial vessels in carbon fibre. At the same time Brødrene continued to develop further lines including subsea covers, train-ploughs and hydromel wings in reinforced plastic materials.

Most importantly, the use of this

breakthrough technology led to an exciting new era of shipbuilding the company.

Today Brødrene is widely considered to be one of the leading companies in the construction of commercial passenger vessels, including fast ferries and catamarans in composite carbon fibre. The company maintains a 3000 square metres indoor facility. This production space is fully moisture and temperature controlled and manned by a workforce of around 130 skilled workers with expertise

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Profile: Brødrene Aa As

SAERTEX

Reinforcing your ideas with glass, carbon and aramid SAERTEX is a family owned, leading company in the composite industry with headquarters in Germany. Since 1982, SAERTEX has been producing multiaxial fabrics made of glass and carbon.

Innovations like the structural core material SAERfoam® and the fire protection system SAERTEX LEO® represents a real milestone in the manufacture of components for use in boat and shipbuilding. SAERTEX also offers turnkey solutions such as component manufacturing services.

Brödrene Aa has been using carbon fabrics from SAERTEX since 2004. The company would like to thank Brödrene for the long-term partnership and looks forward to it continuing for many more years.

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covering all of the disciplines required to deliver complete turnkey vessels. Brødrene employs a quality management system in accordance to ISO 9001:2008, which is further revised and certified independently

by Meyer Certification Services Inc to ensure that the craft produced by the company are of the highest quality. The sturdy carbon fibre construction of the vessels delivers excellent strength and rigidity as well as extremely low weight

resulting in impressive fuel efficiency.

Throughout the construction process quality is monitored and treated with paramount importance.

Its leading industry experience and the world-class quality of its vessels has allowed Brødrene to maintain a strong portfolio of orders and deliveries throughout 2015. During June 2015 for example, Brødrene was officially awarded a contract to build a new sightseeing vessel for the Norwegian operator, The Fjords As. The 42m carbon fibre catamaran is scheduled for delivery in May 2016 and will sail on the Nærøyfjord, a famous Norwegian fjord listed on the Unesco World Heritage list. The boat represents the first of the new Brødrene design named Seasight, which was designed to provide tourists with a new type of sightseeing experience. Commenting on the contract, Managing Director, Tor Øyvin Aa says: “We are excited about the opportunity to start producing this new, innovative design, which we believe will create great experiences

for the tourists on Nærøyfjord. It is also a breakthrough for us to bring our competence in making fuel efficient high speed vessels to this new segment of building environmentally friendly vessels for lower speeds.”

Later during September 2015, Brødrene announced the delivery of the 26m-carbon fibre catamaran hull, nr. 275, M/S Loppøy to the client, Boreal Transport Nord. The vessel was designed to fulfil several functions and is capable of carrying 97 passengers, two cars and is equipped with a crane to handle goods for the local communities inhabiting the sparsely populated Norwegian coast. Loppøy will operate on the western part of Loppa in Finnmark. In order to transit the occasionally rough weather conditions in the area, the foredeck is covered and parts of the outer deck have been fitted with heating wires to prevent icing during the winter.

The vessel is certified for operations in 2.5m wave heights and is powered by two Scania Dl16 diesel engines that each provide 588kW, allowing Loppøy to reach speeds of 25 knots.

The vessel’s gears and propellers were delivered by Servogear and presently a sister vessel is expected for delivery during November 2015.

During the same month Brødrene also announced the award of a contract for the delivery of two catamarans for a client in Hong Kong, China. The international tender was issued by Guangzhou Panyu Lianhuashan Port Passenger Transport Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Chu Kong Shipping Enterprises Holdings Co. Ltd. The contract comprises two identical vessels, each produced using carbon fibre composites and with a capacity of 270 passengers. “We are very pleased with this contract, which is our biggest export-order to date. Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta is one of the largest markets for high speed vessels so this contract is a great opportunity for us,” Tor says.

Through a combination of its many years of experience, innovative design and market-leading construction, Brødrene nurtures a strong reputation as a world-class supplier of lightweight, high-speed craft. In recent years it has delivered turnkey

vessels and carbon fibre structures within its native Norway as well as to clients around the world. Throughout the remainder of 2015 and beyond, the company is in an excellent position to continue to do so in both its current and new markets for many years to come.

Brødrene Aa As www.braa.com

• World leader in the construction of catamaran ferries

• Carbon fibre composite construction • Sixty years of experience

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Profile: Bierens

Changing

gears

F

ounded in 1880, the Bierens Group of companies has been the leading gear specialist for more than 70 years; this coveted position has been held thanks to its ongoing care and passion for the manufacture of gears, gearboxes, mechanical drives, special machines and overhaul work.

Indeed, key to the group’s ongoing success is its focus on the development of new and innovative gear shapes, as well as the optimisation of existing tooth shapes and the diversity in production possibilities.

Within the group is Bierens BV, a specialist in manufacturing gears and gearboxes; Defawes NV, a Ghentbased sister company that specialises in the design and manufacture of mechanical drives; HPG Nederland BV, the go-to partner for firms requiring innovative, high-precision gears, and Blom Tandwielen, which fully specialises in the production of

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drive components. Within the market of gearbox production, both Bierens in Tilburg and Defawes in Ghent have gained strong reputations as large players. “Bierens is located in Tilburg and Ghent, with 50 and 30 employees respectively. The Tilburg location is more focused on the marine market, with the specialism on spiral bevel gears, while the Ghent location is more focused on the industrial market, with the overhaul of gearboxes,” explains Henk Meijer, CEO of Bierens Group. “Of all spiral bevel gear manufacturers, Bierens is the most technology driven as we focus on technology in the design of the product, as well as technology in spiral bevel gear manufacture. Through our drive for innovation, we created a new era in manufacturing of spiral bevel gears in 2002 and, although there are many followers, Bierens is still the only one who uses the mathematical basis for the manufacture of gears.”

Indeed, a major milestone for the group took place in 2002, when it developed the five-axis free form milling methodology that could produce a range of gears. This innovation, created by the technology and development department of Bierens, further ensured the group remained competitive as multiple tooth shapes could then be milled on one machine. Moreover, this technology can develop tooth shapes or corrections that can’t be manufactured with standard tools, it is also applicable to all gears for which a mathematical description is developed; this includes cylindrical gears with straight, helical or V-shaped teeth, conical gears with straight of curved teeth, worms and wormwheels, crownwheel and racks.

The technology is particularly suitable for finishing milling products that have specific surface requirements or gear quality; the most revolutionary

example of this is the Bierens S-Shape, which is known as the ‘golden solution’. The benefits of the unique Bierens S-Shape include a 30-35 per cent increase of power transfer, less heat and noise, increased efficiency and the possibility of accuracy up to quality class DIN class 1 (AGMA 15).

In addition, there is no need for axial fixation and there is also the possibility of using alternative materials.

Discussing in more detail the bespoke solutions that Bierens delivers to its customers, Henk highlights: “New technology naturally leads to new solutions and benefits for our customers; for example, free form milling makes any tooth profile possible and also ensures more power transfer and enhanced design solutions. Meanwhile, free form crowning ensures an enhanced contact pattern, a longer-life cycle of the product, increased efficiency and less noise and head. Free form profiling also delivers benefits as it makes smaller designs possible.”

Due to the high accuracy of the gears that Bierens creates, the requirement for gears to be individually adapted to one another is eliminated. As such, the company has earned the trust of blue chip organisations that operate in the most demanding of industrial environments. Business segments that the company produces gears and gearboxes for include the maritime sector, infrastructure and structures sector, the mining industry, industrial applications, the heavy machine construction sector, glass industry, steel industry and the transport industry.

Despite this impressive diversity, approximately 60 per cent of sales come from maritime applications.

“The main customers within the shipping industry are thruster companies such as Wärtsilä, RollsRoyce, Schottel, Veth Propulsion and ZF Marine,” says Henk.

To stay ahead of the competition and ensure ongoing quality to its clients, Bierens began building new premises in December 2014. The new factory provides a new logistic plan that has boosted efficiency in the manufacturing process, as Henk notes: “In this new ‘smart industry’ setting

we have created, we can achieve more machine hours per man-hour, so the whole chain of production can be less costly. In addition, the factory has also been air-conditioned so accuracies of 1.2 micron are now possible. These developments also mean the S-gear is now tested for high-speed trains

and that the company as a whole is delivering more sustainability by using less energy, which has led to a smaller environmental footprint. Furthermore, we have invested in two new DMU 210P machines and one Mazak Integrex 670II, which have been added to the fleet of five-axis milling machines, as well as a new horizontal bevel gear tester.”

Keen to exploit the strengths of the new factory, Bierens is certain to have a prosperous future as it looks to expand into locations such as Asia and Brazil, where the benefits of using high quality and innovative marine technology are yet to be fully understood.

Bierens

www.bierens.com • Specialists in manufacturing gears and gearboxes • Sixty per cent of sales are in marine applications • Continuously invests in machinery

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Profile: AMBREY RISK

Rapid

growth S

ince its inception in 2010, Ambrey Risk has established itself as the world’s largest operator in the maritime security and anti-piracy sector. As a provider of a comprehensive range of services for ships and offshore assets in high risk environments such as East Africa and West Africa, the company has grown rapidly since its first offshore project in Kenya and Tanzania in the first quarter of 2011.

Key to this growth was the company’s strategic decision to expand overseas in 2013 in line with the globalisation of the armed guard business, with new headquarters being set up in Dubai alongside offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and Korea.

On top of this, the company rapidly expanded the volume of

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armed guards it employs and began taking on guards of international origin in 2012; this decision has since paid dividends as it reflects the majority of market demand currently.

To remain competitive, Ambrey Risk also sought to take a leading role in writing the UK firearms training standard at the City and Guilds Maritime Security Operator Standard, as John Thompson, Senior Advisor of Ambrey Risk, discussed with Shipping & Marine in March 2015: “We recognised that international training certifications were essential for the longevity of our business and have sought to move discussion on armed guard standards away from that of nationality and more on to military experience and internationally accredited civilian training standards.

As the first maritime security company to be registered with Manipal City and Guilds in India we have now trained all of our Indian guards to the City and Guilds standard. This development means all of Ambrey Risk’s guards, whether Indian or British, all undergo the same standard of training. This single standard, regardless of nationality has been our goal from the outset and reflects the attitudes of our clients.”

Proud to be the first organisation in the industry to achieve the ISO 9001:2008 accreditation for the provision of maritime security services for vessels with LRQA in August 2012, the company chose not to rest on its laurels and went on to successfully gain the ISO/PAS 28007 certification from LRQA in

November 2014. This compliance further demonstrates Ambrey Risk’s commitment to providing quality security management services that fully safeguard seafarers against potential risks at sea; the company is also currently pursuing ISO 14001 and 18001 certification.

With turnover growing nearly 22 fold between 2011 and 2014, the company was launched to eighth place in The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 annual league table of the fastest growing companies in the UK in 2014. Since being featured in Shipping & Marine in March 2015, this trend of success has continued for Ambrey Risk, with the company supporting 214 ships with security teams in July 2015; a record for the company. “This target was reached through a very professional, focused and well-resourced sales team combined with acquisition of competitors and significant volumes

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Profile: AMBREY RISK

of our client’s ships sailing in our core operating area,” says John, who continues to highlight other notable developments for the firm over the last nine months: “Since March we have grown the business by a further 30 per cent. This has been achieved through organic growth and the acquisition of a competitor. We have also opened an office in Japan and Mumbai to expand our reach globally.”

The acquisition of Control Risk’s maritime security business, has enabled Ambrey Risk to strengthen its customer base and services while also taking on a further 36 offices across five continents. “Control Risks were an excellent acquisition as their compliance and standards lead approach was identical to ours.

This ensured their clients found the transition an easy one and that their business integrated seamlessly with ours,” highlights John.

This acquisition follows Ambrey Risk’s acquisition of Drum Cussac’s 114 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

maritime transits security division, which offered expert security consultants who are highly skilled in all marine environments to protect commercial shipping firms from seaborne piracy threats in the Indian Ocean. These acquisitions further cement the company’s commitment to providing maritime security services to its customers while other companies have focused elsewhere, as John notes: “The market has been highly challenging in 2015 as our sector faces a rising compliance bill at the same time as significant price falls for the service we provide. Many smaller competitors have gone out of business and everyone is feeling the pressure.

“Our core maritime security market will face continued pressure in 2016, which will reinforce our strategy to grow our market share through acquisition during this time of consolidation. We will also be looking to broaden the services we provide

our shipping clients,” he adds.

While it continues to strengthen its foothold in West Africa despite the numerous regulatory challenges, Ambrey Risk will also be focusing on enhancing its presence in the Somali piracy market and expanding its training segment, as John notes: “We have expanded our training to provide courses in Poland and Sri Lanka. We have now got registered City & Guilds centres in both locations, training 75 people a month.

This underpins the growth in our core business.” Indeed, by remaining in diverse markets and offering a wide range of services, the company is certain to maintain a secure future in a volatile market.

Ambrey Risk

www.ambreyrisk.com • Armed security guard specialists • Grown business by further 30 per cent since March 2015 • Acquired Control Risks in 2015

Profile: Fareast Ship Management Hong Kong

The complete

package D

espite its relatively short history, Fareast Ship Management Hong Kong Ltd (FSMHK) has developed a strong reputation for personalised ship management services to the owners of various ships across the globe. Since its foundation in 2010 by a young yet highly experienced team of well-trained and like-minded professionals, the company has established its own and associated offices in areas such as Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. “Our experience and expertise in shipping with deep involvement in every case is our main strength. We commence our work and study at a very root level moving further to the surface to ensure every aspect of the business is well studied, attended to ensure all risks or concerns are well identified, worked and planned to sketch a well planned and well managed project,” begins 116 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

Surinder Singh, Managing Director at FSMHK. “We provide the complete expertise from selection of business, investment planning and ship finance assistance/ advice and further projections of the long terms earning VS expenses with relation to the market trends.

We also prepare tailor-made project solutions for our clients and the expertise we provide them with offers an advantage over the conventional ship management services that are commonly available in the market.”

Committed to its mission to become an established world-class ship manager, the company analyses the needs of ship owners as well as the ever-changing trends within the shipping industry to ensure it meets market requirements. Dedicated to continuous improvement, FSMHK often upgrades its services to effectively serve the industry when it

comes to business operations and new regulations while maximising returns and value for customers. Proud of the business activities it undertakes, the company takes a project on as its own and works on a 24/7 basis to ensure availability and presence at all times throughout a project. This way of operating is integral to delivering a prompt and highly satisfactory service and further instills confidence in FSMHK as a global ship management company that can be trusted to fulfil its role within the ship owning community.

Key to this mission is the company’s attitude towards safety and quality management, which Surinder views as a major supporting pillar to its success as a ship management firm.

When it comes to safety and quality management, the company’s core objectives are to ensure safety at sea, the prevention of human injury

and loss of life and the avoidance of damage to the environment, particularly with regards to the marine environment and property. This commitment is maintained through increased awareness, successful internal and external audits and a clearly stated and adhered to safety and environment policy. On top of this, FSMHK complies with all mandatory regulations and laws that are enforced by IMO and flag states, strictly abides by the requirements of ISPS code by IMO and as ratified by various member flag state countries and is in full compliance with the US

coast guard and IMO requirements when it comes to the consumption of alcohol and drugs on board.

By combining experience, integrity and expertise, the ISO 9001:2008 certified company is able to offer bespoke ship management solutions to oil majors, owners and ship management firms; solutions that it delivers include technical, commercial, legal and insurance, ship purchase and takeover planning, dry docking/repairs and conversion management. FSMHK also offers certifications and day-today operational problem solving. All of these capabilities enable the ship

owner to be concentrate its attention on cargo fixture and freight collection.

On top of this comprehensive range of services, FSMHK has also developed close relationships with a number of chartering and brokering houses that assist owners with commercial fixtures as well as providing prefixture and postfixture value added services. These relationships further enable the company to take on a huge range of services and thus provide optimum flexibility when meeting a client’s needs.

Furthermore, by operating under the Fareast Group umbrella, the company can deliver a versatile, tailor-made service to its customers, as Surinder discussed with Shipping & Marine in March 2015: “FSMHK has moved under the group umbrella of the Fareast Group, which has activities like ship owning, ship chartering, sale and purchase of ships, shipping agency, marine consultancy and surveys and marine recruitment agency, new building projects and site supervision which has helped the company to assist owners to obtain all services as one stop solutions.

“The group profile assists new and upcoming ship owners, investment firms or private equity funding to comfortably enter the shipping sector to earn excellent benefits and positive returns. We offer various tailor-made projects suited to the individual investor’s requirements and profile.

All of the businesses within the group maintain the personalised and bespoke approach that clients look for and there is no compromise to work that is below the company benchmark, which is designed to follow the compliance standards of the shipping industry.”

Focused on expansion in all areas of the business, FSMHK has been busy opening new offices, adding new vessels to its fleet and recruiting more personnel over the last nine months, as Surinder highlights: “FSMHK has opened new offices in Singapore, India and also registered in Gibraltar to cover the operating areas and bring advantages closer to our clients operating within these regions as we can now operate in the same time zone and spread coverage. Moreover, the www.shipping-and-marine.com - 117

Profile: Fareast Ship Management Hong Kong

company has been mainly focused on tanker management and adding more tankers into the management fleet. At the same time on the shore side, we have been recruiting more experienced and professional employees and imparting on them the right training as we spread out our branches in different regions. Additionally, the company has been working on in-house software for planned maintenance systems and company specific reporting systems. We have also added gas tankers to the fleet and are now one of the very few gas tanker operators in Hong Kong.”

Acquired by one of the group companies, the three vessels are now under technical and crew management provided by FSMHK. The group

Unimarine

UNIMARINE, a member of USTC group serving the shipping industry since 1876, provides unique marine lubricants supply solutions and technical services globally.

Supported by a lubricants team experienced in technology, product development, supply chain management and vessel operations, UNIMARINE focuses on worldwide 24/7 technically reliable and cost efficient marine lubricants supply solutions through its extensive network.

UNIMARINE LUBESAFE™ innovative and reliable technical services offer used oil analysis, on board minilabs, cold corrosion monitoring and trainings on board and onshore.

UNIMARINE is proud to support the growth of FAREAST HK Ship Management by providing innovative and reliable marine lubrication services to their fleet.

is now focusing on acquiring more tankers into its fleet, while FSMHK looks to add a number of tankers to its own fleet in response to gas gaining much momentum in the market as the world seeks out cleaner fuels.

In line with increasingly stringent environmental legislation, the company is also focusing on bringing its older ships up to the modern standards of international regulation, as Surinder notes: “We have a mixed fleet of old and new tonnage, and naturally the older tonnage requires a lot of attention in terms of maintenance and, on occasion, preventative planning for scheduled change of some equipment. The replacement of such machinery as part of upgrading requires planning within the budget as the earning power is reduced and the trading pattern is affected during this time.

“As we move forward, the new regulations do come up as a challenge, but we do a full analysis on the older tonnage on the basis of modifications versus returns and restrictions on its trade. This level of work needs much experience, however our team has this expertise handling mixed tonnage for many years. So far all our ships are in compliance with all upcoming regulations except the ballast water treatment plan installation, which is in progress.”

Alongside the challenges of new regulations and a fluctuating shipping

market, FSMHK is also responding to an issue that is impacting the shipping industry as a whole: the lack of experience shipping professionals both at shore and at sea. “We continue to invest in the human resources sector and recruit under three categories: the experienced professionals, the new aspiring individuals and the less experienced who have much potential once they cross the line to join senior professionals. Along with recruitment, we are also looking into training and upgrading the skills of our present staff, which would further build on our company strengths. We have been very pleased so far that our efforts in this angle have been fruitful but it remains a continuous process. As such, we have added a team of HR personnel, with strong expertise who are dedicated to work on this sector.”

With new vessels under management and a HR department in place to strengthen its talented team of employees, FSMHK has created a platform for further growth as it looks to expand its services in Europe through its new office in Gibraltar.

“Operating from this new office we can focus well on managing vessels that operate around the coast of Europe,” states Surinder. “We can also look into the business of yacht management in this region.

Meanwhile, from our Singapore office, we will be focusing on providing ship management activities while also extending into offshore vessels management and yacht management.

“Looking further ahead, the group will potentially expand its companies in a more independent manner, by enabling them to set their own plans and projects in the future. This could lead to the companies diversifying into more shipping sectors that have yet to be developed, such as the logistics sector, ship building sector and marine equipment production,” he concludes.

Fareast Ship Management Hong Kong Ltd www.fsmhk.com • Provider of ship management services • Part of the Fareast Group • Added three new vessels in 2015

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Profile: Protection Vessels International

Full speed

ahead

S

hipping and Marine last featured Protection Vessels International Ltd (PVI), the world’s largest private maritime security service, back in April this year. Over the months that followed the company, which is a part of Protection Group International, has made significant progression in terms of growing its business and providing critical services to an industry that faces ever present threats in the world’s shipping regions.

“Over this time PVI has had a successful year in which our top line sales and volume have grown quite pleasantly at a time when the industry as a whole is shrinking,” begins MD, Matthew Parker. “To start with, we have implemented a lot of efficiencies across the business to make sure our standards of compliance are still the highest in the 120 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

business, whilst ensuring that our profits continue to increase so that we can re-invest in the business. We have also strengthened our supply chain, which we own ourselves, so we have vessels in the Red Sea that enable our re-supply and ongoing operations, and we also have a significant hub in Galle in Sri Lanka. This really sets us apart – recent changes in Galle with ongoing political instability in the region has been really significant as we have invested heavily there, whilst others have not.

“We have also developed our intelligence product, which includes a free risk portal providing users with a geopolitical risk analysis tool enabling them to measure and understand risk in different areas of the world.

From this we can generate bespoke reporting and monitoring of events in specific jurisdictions.”

Compliance is where PVI is really

able to set itself apart from the industry and over the last couple of months the company has successfully passed its ISO audit and reapplied for its German Flagged licence. Matthew puts this down to the people it recruits and the continual training programme they are put through.

“The screening and vetting of any applicant wanting to work for PVI is extremely stringent and the bar is high,” he says. “Not only do we want lots of relevant military experience but also private sector experience.

Our refresher training and ongoing programme to bring people up to speed on the threats they will face and the changing environment in the specific geographies they will operate in is second to none.”

Outside shipping, the two areas of offshore oil and gas and telecoms have also been key markets for PVI over the last year. Despite challenges

from the current oil price putting pressure on the company’s operations in the offshore sector, PVI has established strong and long-lasting relationships with clients who call upon its security services all across the globe. “In terms of telecoms we have made a big push into this market recently and are working a lot with subsea cable layers as well as onshore installation builders and suppliers across Africa,” says Matthew.

Its ability to offer such a professional and responsive service to the international market is absolutely key to PVI’s success when considering the volatility of global politics. “It is always a rollercoaster ride because we are constantly responding to global macroeconomic events, including events in Syria, which are reverberating across oil prices, and therefore the shipping industry,” he adds. “We are constantly cutting

the cloth to listen to the pressures that our customers are under and try to respond to those as best as we can, whether they be new threats from cyber security or traditional threats at sea. Piracy, for instance, is constantly changing in form, so we try to respond to that, listening to our customers and what their needs are and providing them with a solution or service to fit.”

One such event, which has required PVI’s flexible response, is the ongoing migrant crisis in the Mediterranean.

Not least has this caused issues for many of the company’s clients who have had to divert or delay course to avoid getting caught up in the problems, but PVI has also played a significant role in ensuring the best support can be provided to the situation. “Some vessels have taken several thousand migrants onboard at a time and that can be

a massive headache for operators,” Matthew explains. “Our services revolve primarily around training in the first instance to prepare crew for the event of picking people up, so things like vetting and screening people coming onboard, having safe areas, reception centres and making sure they are properly equipped with medical supplies and other things that will make life onboard more bearable in the situation. We also do a lot of medical training to make sure the crew are fully up to speed with the sorts of things they will encounter, and this extends to post-traumatic stress management so that we can look after the crew and support crew who may not be psychologically prepared to deal with this type of situation.”

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Profile: Protection Vessels International

Sri Lanka Shipping Co Ltd. Sri Lanka Shipping Co., Ltd has been a leading marine service provider and a reputed professional Ship Agency Company in Sri Lanka since 1956.

A wide range of marine services are provided which include offshore crew boat services for transfer of Sea Marshalls including towage and salvage services. Provides an overall service in Sri Lanka to Protection Vessels International Ltd of United Kingdom.

The company continues to manage all its business affairs in accordance with the highest principles of good governance, integrity and compliance with all rules and regulations and follows the highest safety standards in operating ships with a view to eliminating or at least minimising human injury, loss of life and environmental damage.

Sea and Sri Lanka. “We’ve also been quite active in the US, where we deal with a lot environmental activists and the threat from NGOs,” says Matthew. “For example, we have been supporting the exploration activities of oil companies and making sure we can help them maintain their business continuity from some of the softer threats such as Greenpeace, who we have previously dealt with on Arctic exploration projects.”

As PVI looks ahead, it is keen to help build resilience in the market towards terrorism, which Matthew notes doesn’t have to be a major worry but is important that the crew are trained and confident to deal with worst-case scenarios. It also sees developing issues in South East Asia with maritime crime becoming an increasing problem for which PVI is prepared to deploy guards and provide training to overcome.

Elsewhere the company will be looking at expanding its footprint in telecoms as cable upgrade and extension projects become busier, as well as preparing itself to react as soon as the oil and gas market picks up and increased exploration activity will demand more security.

PVI’s parent company, PGI, has also made significant progress with its cyber security division over the last year, which has developed its reputation inline with the growing success of PVI. “We are a cyber security consultancy and solutions provider as well and we have been

able to up-sell this through the shipping and offshore industries,” Matthew says. “The services that we provide here can be anything from awareness training for senior executives and operatives to understand how to protect themselves from cyber attacks and malicious software, through to monitoring software and hardware systems. This is supplemented by a response service, so forensic investigations of cyber breaches in order to take appropriate steps to protect against future threats to commercial activity. This business is going very well and there is a growing need to protect against this across the world in all industries.”

In terms of the future Matthew continues: “PVI will continue to adapt to the changing environment in the Indian Ocean. I think in the maritime security industry we will see consolidation in the market place forcing a lot of smaller companies to close their doors. This will create opportunities for us, being a financially stable organisation with very strong investor backing, to either bring these companies on board or support customers when these businesses shut down.

“I don’t think it is a time for the shipping industry to become complacent however, as piracy and other dangers continue to evolve and emerge. Ultimately, we will be prepared to assist them whatever their need be, as we are a company that is here for the long term. I also think there is a major opportunity for us in the cyber domain where we have become preeminent amongst UK cyber security companies and we are well poised to take advantage and support new and existing customers as and when the need arises. This is both in terms of pre-empting a cyber attack or in the wake of an increasing number of attacks happening.”

Protection Vessels International Ltd www.pviltd.com

• The world’s largest private maritime security service • Demonstrates unparalleled compliance within the industry • Has a successful and growing cyber security arm

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Profile: AFAI Southern Shipyard

Reputation for

excellence

L

ocated in Guangzhou, China and established in 1992, AFAI Southern Shipyard has grown to become a world-renowned design and build specialist of high performance aluminium-alloy ships.

Employing over 300 highly skilled staff, the company prides itself on the pragmatic, efficient, enterprising and disciplined attitude of its people, allowing it to occupy such a worldleading position. Deploying these values along side a wealth of quality and safety management systems, AFAI has earned itself a global reputation for building fast ferries, public vessels and professional rescue vessels. Employing these core strengths, the company works closely with its customers to design and develop the best vessels according to the customer’s demands.

In a successful effort to continue integrating into the global market, in 2012 the company invested into a ship design firm based in Holland in order to match European technology advances, enter into high-end aluminium-alloy ship design and exploit international business. The 124 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

AFAI corporate development plan positions around a product range that incorporates 15-60 metre yachts.

As such, over the last few years, the business has built 40 full aluminiumalloy catamaran ships, including coastal fast-rescue boats, 85-metre RO-PAX ferries, 32-metre sightseeing vessels and 35-metre luxury river vessels amongst many others.

Recent examples of ship builds aptly demonstrate the broad range and specialities delivered by the shipyard. In August 2015, AFAI successfully launched its ninth coastal fast rescue vessel for China Rescue & Salvage Bureau of Ministry of Transport. The NANHAIJIU 204 is the second of its kind to be delivered to the bureau this year and in October the vessel successfully completed its sea trial, meeting its design and performance requirements.

August this year also saw the successful launch of Pengxing 20, the fifth vessel built by AFAI for Pengxing Company. In June, the company successfully completed the sea trial of the preceding Pengxing 19. With a top speed of 31.8 knots,

the high-speed ferry is a strong demonstration of the shipyard’s expertise in aluminium-alloy catamarans for a range of demanding applications.

Such is the international standing of AFAI’s reputation that its US2000 ferry has been the centre of international trade discussions between China and partnering economies. In November 2014, after almost a year of overcoming significant production challenges, the shipyard was able to deliver its first US2000 ferry to Rio de Janeiro.

Delivered to the city’s department of transport, the ‘Sugar Loaf Mountain’ ferry, which has a capacity of 2000 passengers, successfully reached its new home and in May 2015 hosted the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and over 20 Chinese and Brazilian entrepreneurs. Speaking at the event the Premier commented that the two countries’ economics were mutually compatible with their respective strong points and offer great potential for further co-operation.

He continued by saying that AFAI’s US2000 represented another achievement in co-operation between

China and Brazil on production capacity and manufacturing.

The project with Brazil represents a significant relationship for AFAI as it continues to deliver a total of six US2000 vessels to the country.

Upon completion of the first ship, construction on the following five began simultaneously to meet the time requirements of its customers.

Making good progress on the project, the shipyard successfully shipped the third ferry to Brazil in September 2015.

As AFAI continues to forge robust international relationships with its high-quality and innovative vessel designs, so demand for its services rises. In order to cope with this growing capacity, the company employs a process of continuous improvement and over the past year significant efforts have been made to enlarge its production capacity.

This has involved making reasonable adjustments to the production area, increasing the number and size of workshops, and investing in further lifting equipment and welding machines.

This is enhanced by focused investment into its people and as such the company runs a yearly graduate programme. This year AFAI took on five new graduates from Harbin Engineering University, South China University of Technology and Wuhan University of Technology. The new recruits will undergoing a rigorous training programme in aspects of safety, corporate policy and development plans, before moving on to become key parts of the company’s design and project management divisions. AFAI is keen to continue this process of recruitment to bring fresh perspectives to its operations and solidify the continued success of

the shipyard well into the future.

As the shipyard moves forward, its focus remains very much trained on continued global expansion and development. In October 2015, AFAI partnered with Dutch company Coco Yachts at the International Boat Show in China. Also experts in aluminium catamaran yachts, Coco Yachts attracted a lot of attention for its 15-metre model and AFAI was able to use the opportunity to introduce itself to a wider range of clients, successfully demonstrating its unique brand to a global audience.

AFAI Southern Shipyard www.afaisouth.com

• World renowned for quality aluminium- alloy catamarans • Building successful relationships with the international market, particularly in Brazil • Investing heavily into facilities and people to ensure its continued success as demand rises

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Profile: V Ships USA Neil McNeil, Managaing Director

Opportunities for growth

O

riginally operating from a New York office, which was established in 1994, V Ships USA subsequently moved to Miami, before settling in Fort Lauderdale, at the heart of the maritime community. In fact, within the immediate area of the new premises are the busy cargo and passenger Terminals of Port Everglades together with the core of Classification Societies with organisations such as Lloyds Register, BV and ABS who are located not too far away.

This strategic relocation from New York has also naturally resulted in V Ships becoming more attractive for employees as it can provide a full suite of marine and technical management services such as marine travel, crewing, purchasing and vessel accounts from one location. Meanwhile, on a more personal level, it is within close proximity to good housing and schools.

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Management Services umbrella, V Ships USA is one of 18 ship management offices that are supported by the group’s Divisional Team in Glasgow. In total, 600 members of staff work across the globe to deliver ship management services to a wide range of cargo-carrying vessels, such as chemical and LPG/LNG tankers, bulk carriers and containerships as well as specialised vessel types. “The unique way we operate offers our clients a boutique ship management service in a time zone that is most suitable for them. For example, if an owner is based in New York but his vessels are in Singapore this is not a problem for us because we operate from a common platform that means all of our management and procurement services are standardised. No matter where our customers are based, they can expect the same level of service anywhere in the world,” says Managing Director of V Ships USA Neil McNeil.

He continues: “There are not too

many ship management companies that have a model like this; it is a way of working that is strengthened by our IT suite, ShipSure, a bestin-class system that interfaces with our procurement accounts and our crewing services and is also used by our CEO Clive Richardson. We have recently made a significant investment in order to upgrade this system to further enhance its capabilities.”

Since previously featuring in Shipping & Marine magazine in May 2014, V Ships USA has witnessed depressed market rates in the shipping sector, most notably with regards to bulk carriers, while also seeing more shipments and movement of oil cargoes in response to the drop in oil prices in 2014. “We are seeing a lot of activity in the tanker markets, while the dry bulk market remains depressed; this is putting pressure on the ship managers to provide cost savings so the ship owner can at least try and extract some profit

from voyages or time charters. This has been going on for quite some time now and we don’t expect to see a recovery until 2017 at least for the bulk market. Despite this, activity in the tanker sector has been relatively steady over the last few months,” says Neil. Despite the stagnation in the bulk market, V Ships USA has seen an increase in the number of vessels operating in South America in response to demand for dry bulk ships that are able to transport grain cargoes in the region.

In addition, due to the recent drop in the value of second hand tonnage the company has been active with savvy ship owners taking the opportunity to expand their fleets or to commence a start up company. “One of the V.Group in-house companies, SeaTec Inspection Services, specialises in pre-purchase vessel inspections.

Over the last 12 months we have seen a marked increase in the number of inspections we have undertaken, with approximately 25 vessels inspected on behalf of various existing clients or third parties through our office alone.

SeaTec provides a tremendous service as they have worldwide coverage in terms of inspectors. We can arrange an inspection through SeaTec almost anywhere in the world utilising a local resource. There is no need to fly someone from one continent to another for vessel inspections, which is also cost-effective as well as time efficient. Out of the 25 inspections we undertook, eight or nine purchases were made, so one man’s loss is another man’s gain as some companies may view this slow cycle as an opportunity,” highlights Neil.

With its reports renowned as among the finest in the world by its clients, SeaTec’s vessel inspections includes a suite of services such as

pre-purchase, condition inspections, pre and post finance, Flag state, Class Record, P&I inspections and scrap voyage assessments. Generally viewed as the most exhaustive inspection is the pre-purchase inspection report, which tends to last two days and results in the client receiving a high quality document that reflects the true condition of the vessel. This report, which includes pictures and video, is posted securely on the web so the client can view it from the office, home or elsewhere. Should clients

acquire the vessel, SeaTec will then provide them with an engineering and repair solution through using its own competent and qualified engineering and repairs team.

Although certain areas of the market are likely to remain depressed for the next few years, V Ships USA will remain focused on areas that offer opportunities for growth in line with market demand. Additionally, Neil sees potential to further strengthen the company’s capabilities through mergers or acquisitions over the coming years. “There is always the possibility to take advantage of a good business opportunity in many of the marine service areas,” he concludes.

V Ships USA

www.vships.com • Specialises in the full management of all vessel types • Strong global player • Conducts pre-purchase inspections

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Profile: Claasen Shipyards

Best in class E stablished by Nico Claasen in 1985, Claasen Shipyards is a unique venture within the Dutch yacht building industry that was set up with the goal of combining traditional Dutch workmanship with a constant drive for innovation. Committed to delivering perfection, Claasen Shipyards is comprised of an entrepreunerial group of companies that are each specialists in their respective fields and are either jointly owned or integrated under the Claasen Shipyards umbrella.

Characterised by a flat structure, the organisation benefits from the very best craftsmen who boast strong organisational skills thanks to their long-term expertise and commitment to delivering optimum quality.

Within the group are three leading specialists, Bloemsma, Cornelis Jongkind Yacht Installations and Claasen Jactbouw, as Joachim Kieft, managing director of Claasen Shipyards, discussed with Shipping & Marine magazine in February 2012. “Bloemsma is a company of

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impeccable reputation and one of the finest aluminium hull builders in the world supplying many of the best Dutch yards such as Feadship, Holland Jachtbouw and Vitters.

Cornelis Jongkind Yacht Installations is an experienced partner when it comes to technical installations on sailing yachts of up to 45-metres.

Since 1987, the company has been a supplier and adviser to many of the finest Dutch yards. Last but not least, Claasen Jachtbouw was established

by Nico Claasen in 1985, and the yard typifies the unique benefits that have made the Dutch yacht building industry a global phenomenon.”

By combining these different strengths, Claasen Shipyards has developed a complete yacht building service that is wholly capable of producing yachts such as the J-Class Lionheart, F-Class Firefly and the Truly Classics Atalante; the latter of which was recently a dazzling attendee of the prestigious Monaco Yacht Show 2015 in August thanks to its striking design and impressive size.

“Everyone who saw the TC 127 Atalante was very impressed by the quality of work and the quality to price ratio. The reason we can provide such cost-effective quality is due to our operations as a lean company; we also try to keep the technical aspects of yacht building as simple as possible as we know what the average engineer is capable of. With that in mind, we design in such a way that the yachts are easy to maintain anywhere in the world and minimise the possible challenge of finding spare parts when required. This way of working is often well-appreciated by engineers working on our yachts,” highlights Joachim. “It is because of these strengths that the new owner of the TC 127 Atalante, a previous customer, said they wanted to have the same vessel, just bigger and from the same shipyard, team, suppliers and systems as before, as the previous vessel was so successful.”

At 38.8 metres LOA, the TC 127 Atalante sailing yacht is the largest in Claasen Shipyards’ Truly Classic line to date and features exterior

styling by Andre Hoek of Hoek Naval Architects. Features of the sloop-rigged yacht include a 48.3 metre mast, a lightweight, optimised sail plan and carbon rigging to ensure the ship is perfectly suitable for racing as well as cruising and charter. TC 127 Atalante is built to MCA LY2 regulations.

The vessel could also compete in the Superyacht Cup and Spirit of Tradition classes in regattas when not operating as a cruiser.

One of the demands made by the delighted owner of the TC 127 Atalante, a previous customer of Claasen Shipyards, was to ‘spin the boat on a sixpence’ during racing and also deliver a larger, faster yacht than its predecessor, the TC 90 Atalante, with more comfortable accommodation for both guests and crew without losing intimate contact with the surrounding water.

Having successfully delivered on these requests, Claasen Shipyards went onto create a stunning, custombuilt interior for the owner, which included an aft owner’s suite that leads to a private deckhouse and aft cockpit; this means that with the lower saloon connected to the owner’s cabin, the owners will have almost half the boat to themselves when not entertaining guests.

With regards to interior décor, a rich, warm mahogany wood is combined with white-painted overheads and paneling above wainscots, giving the ship a truly elegant and classic style. For those lucky enough to stay onboard, the TC 127 Atalante boasts two generous guest cabins, one double and one twin, while the area in front of the mast is reserved for crew members and

includes a spacious galley, crew mess and laundry.

By merging quality and performance, Claasen Shipyards’ reputation has soared even higher with the launch of the TC 127 Atalante.

While riding this wave of success, the company is keen to continue building vessels between the 20 to 65 metre size range and will maintain a focus on partnering with owners

who know what they want to create truly spectacular classic yachts with a modern twist.

Claasen Shipyards

www.claasenshipyards.com • Specialises in custom-built yachts • The TC127 Atalante stole the show at Monaco Yacht Show 2015 • The TC 127 Atalante has also received rave reviews from superyacht media

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Profile: ECHOSHIP

A long-term

partner

C

elebrating 25 years in business in September 2015, Echoship has grown from small beginnings into a third party ship manager and ship owner.

Starting its life in 1990, during some of its formative years Echoship ApS was located in the beautiful surroundings of the old town part of Svendborg in Denmark, 50 metres from the waterfront. The facility was built as early as in 1791 and is one of the oldest buildings in Svendborg.

When Echoship acquired the building in February 2000 it was completely overhauled to meet the demands of a modern shipping company, but with all due respect for the historic touch, of course, and as many details as possible were kept in their original shape.

However, as the company continued to grow and evolve, just

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over a decade after it was founded Echoship made the decision to relocate even closer to the waterfront, and in December 2006 it moved into a brand new building that was only about 500 metres from the old address. The new office is equipped with all modern facilities, lots of natural light, fresh air and wonderful 180-200 degrees view to the Svendborgsund.

One of the foundations of Echoship as a modern and forward thinking company its approach to management – for example, its current four owners (Kim Gundesen, Steffen Andersen, Henning Jensen and Henning Knudgaard Jensen) are all personally involved in the daily work of the company. They support the other five members of staff, and going forward the partners maintain ambitious plans for further growth and development.

Despite a relatively short history,

the company boasts a strong team that not only has years of know-how in its industry, but is also enthusiastic and driven. This, combined with the solid experience and dedication of the entire team enables the business to navigate safely through troubled waters, and at the same time accept new challenges.

Activities The main activity of Echoship is chartering management of coasters in European trade, a service that it offers to ship owners in a package together with full operation, accounting and controlling of all voyage-related income and expenses. Furthermore, the company can also arrange maritime insurance covers, as well as claims handling; it can also arrange for full management, including crew and technical management, the latter of which would be undertaken by a

longstanding close business partner.

In addition to its management role, Echoship also works as a competitive broker, with focus on tonnage up to about 10,000 mtdwcc. At the current time, the business manages about 15 coasters in the size from 2500 mt dwcc and up to about 5000 mt dwcc.

The fleet accepts most dry cargo carried at sea with its main activity remaining in the carriage of sawn timber from the Baltic to various destinations in the UK and the European continent; the company also trades in the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea, which tends to be where 4000 and 5000 dwcc ships are traded. Its yearly volume in this specific trade adds up to close to half a million cubic metres and most of it is covered by contracts with very long standing customers.

The other main cargoes handled

by Echoship include steel products, fertilizers, construction materials; windmills, project shipments and all kinds of bulk grains, which are all taken from ‘the spot market’.

Indeed, offering large amount of tonnages to the spot market, within a rather small window from 20007000 tons, provides a lot of flexibility, and Echoship finds that its customers appreciate the ability to adapt and change when necessary. Keeping an eye on its partners’ requirements, irrespective of how the market is generally behaving, is something that the organisation prioritises, and this approach, alongside its outstanding reputation for fulfilling its commitments has helped it establish its glowing reputation in the market.

As it enters its second quarter

century of business, Echoship’s main goal is to be considered and accepted as a serious long-term partner in coastal shipping. It will pursue this goal by undertaking every aspect of its business in a serious and professional way, and thus uphold the large amount of confidence it has already established with the major ship owners and charterers it already represents. By consistently offering good, reliable service, Echoship

will also encourage new business partnerships with other clients, who are all seeking to work with supplier on which they can rely.

Echoship

www.echoship.dk • Hands-on management approach from owners • Celebrating 25 years in business in 2015 • Manages fleet of 15 vessels

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Profile: nimbus boats

A flexible

offering

R

ecognised throughout the boat and yacht building industry for its quality and innovation, Scandinavia’s leading manufacturer of leisure boats for cruising and sport Nimbus Boats is one of the most respected and highly reputed boat builders in Europe.

With a history dating as far back as the early 1970s, the company has been at the forefront of leisure boat design thanks to its involvement in a successful contract from Volvo Penta to develop a new kind of boat that would suit the engine it was creating. This project, which involved small group of innovative designers working together to create Nimbus 26, was an immediate success and was the catalyst for Nimbus Boats as it pushed forward to design and develop more boats that demonstrate qualities such as impeccable design and beautiful craftsmanship.

Four decades on and Nimbus Boats is still going strong in the world of boat building, with the company 132 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

manufacturing all of its boats at its yard in Mariestad under the same philosophy – to produce boats of award winning design that appeal to the senses. Nimbus Boats believes that for the customer it is all about enjoying life onboard, whatever the occasion, activity or destination.

That is why the company utilises high-tech production facilities such as vacuum infusion technology and sandwich laminate in combination with its traditional craftsmanship to ensure that on a Nimbus boat there is something to enjoy for every client, whether it is aesthetics, functionality or a combination of both.

The most recent example of this philosophy can be seen in the creation of Nimbus 305 Coupé; launched at the 2015 Boot Dusseldorf boat show in January 2015, the Nimbus 305 Coupé is the latest hardtop model to be revealed by Nimbus Boats and is the smallest model in the company’s renowned Coupé range. Offering excellent fuel consumption and top speeds of up to 22 knots, the 6.85

metre Nimbus 305 Coupé is fitted with smaller Volvo Penta D3 engines and has a 32 foot hydrodynamic hull shape to ensure the planing threshold is eliminated.

Based on the same concept as the frequently award nominated 405 Coupé and the award winning 365 Coupé, the Nimbus 305 Coupé was built though a vision to create a classic, highly functional Coupé boat that boasts obvious Nimbus genes for families and experienced seafarers that are quality conscious while also prioritising comfort, simplicity and functional design. Built to run comfortably regardless of speed, thanks to its entirely re-designed and optimised hydro-dynamic hull shape, the Nimbus 305 Coupé is the perfect option for those seeking an enjoyable time at sea.

Features inside the Nimbus 305 Coupé include the ‘sidewalk’ design, a layout that optimises walking space to starboard and enhances the simplicity in which passengers can get off and on the boat to spend

time on deck; the boat also has a generous amount of space available in the cockpit and cabin. Moreover, the 305 Coupé boasts a modernised design, glued windows with a large, curved windscreen, opening, flush fitted sliding doors to starboard and generous light and opening roof hatches in the saloon. Other features include a maximised helm instrument panel to provide optimum flexibility and a large after-deck that is fitted on the same level as the swimming platform and the light, airy and cosy saloon.

Following the months of hard work that were put into developing the highly functional and beautifully designed Nimbus 305 Coupé, the boat has been nominated for the European Power Boat of the Year 2016 at the Dussedorf Boat Show, one of the core events in the boat building business that is held in midJanuary annually.

It has been a busy year for Nimbus Boats, with the company also making the premiere appearance of its Nimbus 405 Flybridge in February 2015. Based on the 405 Coupé flagship, the Nimbus 405 Flybridge has been constructed to wholly harmonise with the design of the new Coupé series and thus features a roof with light, sweeping lines and the characteristic folding mast; it also has a large fixed skylight to ensure the saloon remains light and airy despite the superstructure. On top of this, the Flybridge features several functional and social spaces and has been designed to pass beneath bridges following a few simple adjustments.

Thanks to these attractive features, the Nimbus 405 Flybridge is a strong choice for knowledgeable boating people who enjoy comfortable living quarters, ease-of-handling and excellent long distance cruising properties.

Not a company to rest on its laurels, Nimbus Boats launched a new and improved version of its largest model, the Paragon 31 Cabin, in Autumn 2015 following a remodeling of both the interior and exterior of the boat. Now better equipped for all day, all year-round use, the

new Paragon 31 Cabin is now 40 cm longer and has the capacity to carry more powerful engines; she also has more room for tools, system installations and safety equipment.

With a full order book in place, the company has increased the number staff at its production facility by 15 per cent over the last 12 months as it continues to produce expertly crafted and innovative boats that suit all demands. Indeed, customers that require superior design, functionality and a luxurious setting to enjoy activities at sea need look no further than a Nimbus boat.

Nimbus Boats http://nimbus.se

• One of the most respected boat builders in Europe • Manufactures boats of award winning design • Increased staff in production by 15 per cent in 2015

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Profile: DELTA MARINE

A superior

I

service

nitially working in the aquaculture and marine industries, Delta Marine has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience since its establishment in 1985. Indeed, while operating in an evolving marine industry, more projects were taken on by the company, enabling it to listen to market demands and respond with increasingly superior, safe, modern, high specification anchor handling tugs and workboats.

“Our vessels have the towing capabilities of tugs, but they can also transport equipment and have self-load and discharge capabilities.

Furthermore, our anchor handling is mainly done from the bow of the vessel where we have the most buoyancy making operations far safer for the deck crew. Another benefit from this method is that the considerable distance the propellers are from the anchor lift point gives a huge leverage force allowing operations to continue in stronger tides than a conventional anchor

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handler could work in,” says Delta Marine’s manager Neil Spanswick.

The adaptability of the vessels means Delta Marine can provide its services to a range of sectors including wind, wave and tide, oil and gas and aquaculture; the company also provides anchor handling, towage, seabed works and heavy lift services to a wide range of companies. In more detail, the variety of work undertaken

by Delta Marine includes cable laying and cable lay support, dive and ROV support, pollution control and deployment, marine renewables works, dredging support, plough dredging and seabed levelling, crew transfers and fuel and fresh water bunkering.

“Wind is currently a big driver for our business, however, there has been some burgeoning wave and tidal work that is yet to be commercialised as it is in the prototype stage. We are working with most of the wave and tidal developers in Orkney where EMEC (European Marine Energy Centre) is based. It is here that

developers can test their prototypes in a real life scenario and find out if their innovation is viable. We have also installed tidal devices in Shetland, and a three unit wave project in Portugal,” says Neil.

One recent major project for the company took place in the Humber Estuary, where its versatile vessel Whalsa Lass demonstrated her strengths on construction of a large windfarm for one of the Big Six energy contractors.

For this project Whalsa Lass began as an anchor handler for a cable laying vessel, but quickly proved her capabilities and was soon conducting cardinal buoy inspections, deploying rock bags over cables in shallow waters, salvage works and PLGR works whilst keeping the other project vessels supplied with fuel, fresh water and provisions. Viewed as a complete success, Delta Marine was praised for the safe and professional execution of all services.

Although Delta Marine predominantly works throughout

Northern Europe, its vessels have also been employed in the Caspian and Mediterranean Seas including Italy the location of the Costa Concordia disaster, as Delta Marine’s spokesman notes: “Following this major disaster, we were contacted initially to act as an emergency towing tug to quickly move the support barges should the weather deteriorate. However when the salvage master saw the versatility of the Voe Earl she was quickly being used on many other awkward parts of the salvage operation.”

Proving its worth as a versatile and powerful (54t BP) workboat, assisting cargo barges Micoperi One and Micoperi Two into position to lift the frames for the underwater platforms that the wreck was then rolled onto. The Earl also pulled the 26t, 5 ¼ inch chains under the hull used for sponsons and hold backs as well as transporting the multiple 38 ton anchor blocks which were used to pull against during the Parbuckling operation to bring her upright. The Earl supplied fuel for the many generators, hydraulic packs and welding sets that were spread over the Concordia and worksite. She acted as the assist tug for the heavy lift ships installing the 32 x 6-800ton sponsons and provided dive support services.

“During the float off project, she installed two sets of 12 tonne piggy backed anchors which were connected to the stern of the wreck to hold its position until it was pulled to the East and let go for its final departure.

The Voe Earl was also used as a live anchor on the port quarter to pull against pre-set moorings and keep the wreck in position as she began floating. Once the wreck was floating and pulled to the East for towage to Genoa for scrapping, we disconnected the hold back anchors and followed with an oil pollution kit in-case of spills. To ensure optimum safety, we

had a noxious gas sensor and infra-red camera mounted on the wheelhouse to monitor the wreck and persons onboard,” adds Neil.

The Voe Earl was also an integral part of a solemn ceremony that took place on the 13th January 2012 in memory of the first anniversary of the Costa Concordia disaster.

During the salvage operation the Voe Earl had removed an eight tonne lump of rock from a hole in the side of the Costa Concordia and with a memorial plaque affixed to this the last piece removed from the cruise liner, the Voe Earl carefully positioned it

back onto the reef that the liner had run into.

With many major projects complete, Delta Marine is looking to the future with confidence thanks to its highspecification multi-purpose vessels that are ready to meet the diverse needs of an ever-changing marine industry.

Delta Marine Ltd

www.delta-marine.co.uk • Owns and operates five high specification multipurpose vessels • Provides installation services to wave and tidal energy developers

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Profile: Milaha Maritime & Logistics Main picture: MM&L’s logistics business unit provides freight forwarding services, land transportation, project and contract logistics, warehousing and distribution services Top right: Al-Rufaa, part of Milaha’s shipyard operations Bottom right: MM&L’s bulk vessel, Qatar Spirit, was built in 2009 in China and has a capacity of 57,000 DWT

An integrated approach

F

rom its humble beginnings as Qatar’s first shipping agent in 1957, public shareholding company Milaha has grown to become one of the largest and most diverse maritime and logistics companies within the Middle East. With a single-minded approach to meeting its customers’ logistics and supply chain requirements, the Qatar Exchangelisted Milaha Group today ensures the smooth flow of trade across an increasingly demanding world through its diverse business areas – Milaha Maritime & Logistics (MM&L), Milaha Gas & Petrochem, Milaha Offshore, Milaha Trading, and Milaha Capital.

Within the group is Milaha Maritime & Logistics (MM&L), which, much like its parent company, delivers a comprehensive range of integrated services to ensure turnkey solutions to blue chip customers in the oil, gas and petrochem sectors, in addition to well-known importers, exporters and shipping organisations.

Discussing the operational activities of MM&L further is Milaha’s Executive Vice President – Maritime, Michel

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Deleuran: “Milaha Maritime & Logistics has evolved out of the legacy Qatar Navigation operations which began in 1957, and now offers a wide array of services across the supply chain, from container shipping and port management to logistics and shipyard operations. As is the case with the Milaha group as a whole, the individual business units within Milaha Maritime & Logistics operate synergistically to deliver tailored supply chain solutions to our clients.

“For example, as part of MM&L, our Container Shipping unit operates seven owned fully cellular containerised vessels and a tug and barge combination as well as several chartered container vessels. Milaha’s feeder services have a dominant position in the UAEDoha-UAE container trade, and a noticeable position among ports in general within the UAE. Another unit of MM&L is Port Services, which manages Doha Port, the main commercial port in Qatar, on behalf of Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani). Additionally, our Port Services business unit manages Container Terminal Seven at Mesaieed

Port on behalf of Qatar Petroleum, and provides cargo handling and stevedoring services for the general cargo berths.”

Furthermore, MM&L’s logistics business unit provides freight forwarding services, land transportation, project and contract logistics, warehousing and distribution services, while the shipping agencies unit as an agent on behalf of vessels calling at Qatar ports. Activities within this business segment include arranging berthing, un-berthing, loading and discharging activities as well as all port, customs and immigration clearance activities.

MM&L is also responsible for bulk shipping activities, with its bulk shipping business specialising in project and dry freight transportation through both owned and chartered tonnage. “This unit owns and operates on Supramax bulker, Qatar Spirit, and charters others either on a voyage or time charter basis,” explains Michel. “And last but not least, our shipyard unit performs dry-docking, maintenance and repair services for commercial and private vessels in the region. The unit targets offshore

Below: Al-Dakhira, one of MM&L’s container vessels, was built in 2003 in South Korea

support vessels, self-elevating barges and rigs, and general cargo vessels.”

Focused on finding ways to further expand its business and diversify its portfolio for the benefit of stakeholders and clients, MM&L broke new ground with the launch of the first direct container service between Qatar and India on 20th March 2015. The non-stop service connects Qatar’s Doha port with Nhava Sheva, India’s largest port. The new weekly service eliminates the need for transshipment in locations such as Jebel Ali, which increases reliability and lowers transit time and costs.

On May 26th, Milaha welcomed the arrival of the first vessel on the direct Qatar to India route. Received by high-level official dignitaries, the MV Convent’s launch is viewed as a continuation of the group’s ongoing commitment to providing tailor-made, integrated solutions to its customers.

“In addition to this project, MM&L is currently part of a tender to operate the new Hamad port in Qatar, which will replace the existing Doha Port as the main commercial port in the country,” says Michel.

Alongside business expansion, MM&L has also focused on investing significantly in its facilities to streamline operations and throughput capacity, as Michel highlights: “Some examples of this include our investment of approximately three million Qatari riyals on plant and heavy lifting equipment to increase operational and reefer storage capacity, including reefer generators, leads and plugs. We also made substantial investments in hardware and software related to operational systems and the TOS, the latest initiative being the replacement of the existing VMT’s (vehicle mounted terminals) with Windows based tablets. Milaha has also made significant investments in equipment in both Doha and Mesaieed ports in the past year. In service of our recently-awarded product handling/ stevedoring contracts at Mesaieed with Qatar Steel, Qatalum and QVC, we invested approximately six million Qatari riyals, the bulk of which was for bulldozers, heavy forklifts and Bobcats.”

By maintaining a strong commitment to the vision of its parent company and finding new ways to

diversify its portfolio and expand business, MM&L is certain to become a globally recognised player in the shipping and maritime sector, as Michel concludes: “We have plans to grow organically and inorganically through the acquisition of new vessels, construction of new warehouses, launching new direct shipping services, and partnering with other companies in joint ventures to increase our footprint and help us better serve our

clients. This external growth wouldn’t be possible, however, without an internal optimisation of our operations to include cost management and investment in new technology.”

Milaha Maritime & Logistics www.milahaml.com • Part of Milaha Group – www.milaha.com • Launched first ever direct container service between Qatar and India • Strong performance in first six months of 2015

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Profile: Catapult Catamarans

Cutting

F

edge

amily-run business Catapult Catamarans Marine Projects has earned a solid reputation within the shipping industry for its high performance, fine entry power catamarans with island wheelhouse, all moulded in maintenance free GRP. Boasting a superior power to weight ratio, the vessels offer an impressive cruising speed mixed with excellent sea keeping and fuel economy.

Founded by managing director Steve Guyan, who previously worked as a charter fisherman, the Southampton based company was created by chance when Steve required a larger and better-equipped vessel. Taking the decision to design and build his own vessel, Steve used tools available to him through Poltech Services, the fibreglass company he operated at the time, to construct Catapult Catamaran’s first prototype catamaran.

As word and interest spread throughout the shipping industry, the company received three orders for the same vessel within the first seven days of the catamaran operating.

Since Catapult Catamaran’s launch in 2007, demand and interest in the company’s capabilities has continued, with 2014 being its most successful year to date, as Steve Guyan highlights: “We have been 138 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

absolutely flat out, mainly working on survey boats and wind farm boats over recent years, however, at the moment we have four fishing boats, a passenger ferry and a commercial dive boat in production. Although we can build boats for commercial chartering, diving and passenger vessels to name a few markets we are involved in, we have mainly seen an increase in demand for fishing boats.

It is quite incredible really as we rarely did them before and then had eight or nine in a row, so a big chunk of the business now focuses on the construction of commercial fishing boats.”

When asked the reasons behind this increase in demand, Steve continued: “As one boat goes out, people see it and become new customers; it is like a little club in a way and it is beneficial to us as word of mouth praise and recommendation is better from a happy customer who has experience in running the vessel than it is from someone in sales; our customers are our sales team. Our main priority is that our customers are always happy and that we continue to have a positive relationship with them all, we still talk to customers we had six or seven years ago!”

One way the company ensures customer satisfaction is through

flexibility, Steve adds: “Our customers have individual requirements so we build a good boat and fine tune it; a lot of work is bespoke and based on the customer talking to us about their issues and ideas and us also coming up with some solutions to solve problems. It is a big commitment, constructing a boat, so everyone has to be on the same wavelength during the production process, that way we can get it right first time.”

Additionally, the company has enhanced its production processes with the establishment of a stainless steel fabrication shop over the last two years, which has not only boosted cost-efficiency, but also significantly improved production times. This development is certain to prove beneficial for Catapult Catamarans as its order book remains comfortably full until February 2017 but it can increase production to accommodate extra client’s vessels if required and it gains increased attention from its new vessel, the compact but wholly capable nine metre Blade.

While many boat builders look to increase in scale, Catapult Catamarans has done the opposite by putting all of its knowledge and expertise on larger commercial boats into a smaller vessel. Indeed, although the company has the successful 12

metre and 14 metre boats, the company realised there was a niche market looking for smaller craft that could handle closer, shallow surveys.

Moreover, as the pound strengthens against the euro, customers in areas such as Germany, Belgium, Norway and Sweden are looking to save on costs, thus making Blade, at 40 per cent cheaper than her bigger sisters, an attractive option.

Following two years of planning, tooling and fabrication, Catapult Catamarans announced the launch of Blade in 2015, which has the fine entry bow that is synonymous with the Catapult range, providing it with exceptional seakeeping and lateral stability. Meanwhile, the parallel tunnel on the Blade ensures it performs with acceleration levels similar to a sports boat. “We have been running the nine metre model for nearly a year and are returning about 1.7 litres a mile, which is phenomenal. It has a top speed of 29 knots, but cruises at 1.7 litres a mile at 16 knots,” says Steve. Powered by twin Iveco 230 HP Turbo charged diesel inboard engines, conventional shafts, excellent fuel economy, low draught and a top speed of 29 knots, the Blade is a fantastic option for customers seeking a small yet powerful vessel.

Having achieved its most successful year ever in 2014, Catapult Catamarans will focus on producing a range of fishing boats, a commercial dive boat and passenger ferry throughout 2016 that meet the requirements and expectations of

customers. “Ultimately we want to continue having a positive relationship with all of our customers by providing solutions to their problems,” concludes Steve.

Catapult Catamarans

www.catapultcatamarans.co.uk • Build GRP commercial work catamarans • Full order book until February 2017 • Recently launched the nine metre Blade

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Profile: NORDHAVN

The engine

experts

N

ordhavn is a specialised supplier of products, concepts and services for practically any diesel engine installation. The company prides itself on being a strong and reliable partner for clients all over the world, and it is represented in the Nordic countries, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Turkey and Asia. For all of these locations, Nordhavn delivers the same, consistently high quality and the latest, technological advances.

Nordhavn offers its clients a range of options and its business is split into five areas – Marine, Industry, Offshore, Service and Spare Parts.

The marine side is where Nordhavn Marine & Offshore operates and this division can draw on years of experience in the maritime sector as a supplier of applications based on diesel engines, generator and emergency power systems. It can 140 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

deliver practically any type of solution from single components to complete systems and from standard products to tailor made specialised solutions.

Nordhavn Marine & Offshore’s product lines for maritime purposes cover the entire spectrum of products and services for all types of ships from small fishing boats to large super tankers. Its products – diesel engines, generator systems or complete propulsion packages for the marine segment – are characterised by a consistently high quality.

In addition, Nordhavn Marine & Offshore recognises that for many marine systems, class certificates are required. The division is able to manage this process for clients and offer classification in compliance with the specific requirements from the recognised society in question.

On the Industry side, Nordhavn’s industrial generator systems ensure a

reliable power supply for companies and organisations with safety-critical functions, where power failure can result in substantial financial loss or in worst case, loss of human lives.

Nordhavn delivers generator systems for main power and emergency power for a huge variety of applications, including heating plants, hospitals, banks, airports, refugee camps, building sites and dairies, but in reality it can cover virtually any need for power supply.

Nordhavn also delivers diesel engines for OEM purposes from some of the world’s leading brands, and it has the necessary skills to take part in the development of OEM products.

In the Offshore sector, Nordhavn is able to deliver complete generator systems for main and emergency power in offshore wind turbines.

These systems comply with the specific regulations appropriate to the sector concerning issues such as

safety, environment and the fact that the turbines are located at sea and can be difficult to access for long periods of time.

Customised solutions are often required with regards to size and shape, as there is only limited space available in turbines. This is where the company’s engineering and design department can help as it is always up for a challenge and will endeavour find the right solution.

Because turbines are inaccessible for what can be long periods of time due to weather conditions, Nordhavn has invented a system to prolong the intervals between service checks.

This allows for better operational reliability and reduces costs for visits to the turbines.

Having central surveillance of systems is a common request, and Nordhavn offers this possibility as well, combined with a customer specific service agreement when asked for.

Indeed, the Service offering from Nordhavn is available ‘round the clock, round the world’ and its dedication to this area means it can handle practically any service or maintenance job and is known for its problem solving capabilities.

The Service department prioritises what it knows is important to clients – efficiency, expertise and short response times. To enable it to be as responsive as possible, its service hotline is open 24/7 every day of the year, and it is staffed by competent employees with extensive technical insight.

When necessary, a technician is called to the client’s location and at the same time, and order for any spare parts needed is dispatched.

In this way, Nordhavn ensures the fastest, most efficient support in the market and can at the same time avoid unnecessary costs for multiple visits and downtime.

The Spare Parts referred to above are another offering from the organisation, and the Service and Spare Parts departments often work in conjunction with each other. For customers, Nordhavn’s Spare Parts expertise offers the reassurance of short delivery times on spare parts

for many major brands – all over the world.

It is clear from how Nordhavn organises its business that it understands what challenges clients are facing and strives to ensure that all its operations are conducted in such a way as to help customers solve these problems. As a result, it has gained a reputation for not only safety and reliability, but also the ability to deliver credible consulting based on extensive knowledge. Its employees are well-educated, very service minded and have many years of experience with engines and generator systems. It also operates one of the largest and most recognised test centres in the country.

As a result of this comprehensive coverage, Nordhavn continues to win impressive contracts with market leaders, and increase its profitability, both of which can only enhance its reputation going forward.

Nordhavn

www.nordhavn.dk • Expanding business in Turkey • Major new customer signed • Increased profitability

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Profile: Mampaey Offshore Industries B.V.

Ground-breaking

development

S

ince its establishment in 1904 by the grandfather of current CEO Gerard Mampaey, Mampaey Offshore Industries has become the leading supplier of innovative mooring, berthing and towing solutions.

Originally based on Quick Release Hooks for mooring applications, Mampaey has developed its product portfolio by extending it with a range of products that further improves the safety of mooring and berthing process. With in-the-house engineering and software development, Mampaey assures to fulfill client requirements for all of its products. Integrated systems like iMoor are developed to make the total of Mampaey mooring products more attractive than the sum of its parts, which makes iMoor a unique product that Mampaey is able to offer. The Innovative DNA of which Mampaey Offshore Industries consists, has led to the selection of Netherlands’ most innovative small and medium sized enterprise of 2007.

The mooring, berthing and towing solutions developed by Mampaey Offshore Industries are the result of 110 years of experience, driven by innovation and continuous 142 - www.shipping-and-marine.com

design improvements. While its engineers are leading in their work field, it relies upon its customers for constant feedback on how to further improve their working situations.

The combination of actively working together with clients and partners and monitoring of market developments has led to Mampaey being the industry leader in its field.

Mampaey Offshore Industries wants to remain the worldwide preferred supplier of towing, berthing and mooring products. With constant innovation of the product portfolio, Mampaey strives to design, engineer, produce and install the best available systems that meet customer demands and expectations. With the high quality in engineering and used materials, all Mampaey products ensure a solid investment due to the total cost of ownership and offered services.

Previously featured in Shipping & Marine in June 2015, Mampaey has continued its efforts of innovating its products. A recent development is the automated magnetic mooring system called DockLock. DockLock is an innovative system which, instead of conventional mooring lines, uses

semi-permanent magnetic pads for docking. It is designed for ship-to-ship and ship-toshore mooring connections.

The first DockLock system has been installed a bunker ship owned by the VT-Group, called the Valburg. Mooring lines on the Valburg were no longer required. DockLock makes bunker operations not only safer but also much more efficient, as connecting and dis-connecting the ship only takes a few seconds. During operations the DockLock system is continuously monitored and while being connected it is able to control the ships’ motions. It allows free heave, pitch and roll movements and is able to control sway and yaw.

It is a completely automated system designed with redundant and failsafe components. In terms of motions and forces during operations, DockLock has been designed to withstand the worst-case scenarios. This includes severe environmental conditions e.g.: currents, winds, ocean swells and passing vessel motions. DockLock can be integrated in the control sequence of the bunker process. In case of a critical situation, DockLock will immediately generate an emergency shutdown signal (ESD) to initiate the ships’ shutdown control sequence.

The DockLock system collects data of the complete mooring process. This information will be used to enhance the bunker and mooring process making it safer and more efficient, leading to faster turnaround time and return on investment. It’s a true game changer for ship-to-ship and ship-toshore mooring.

Furthermore Mampaey has developed a new product called ‘intelligent Multi Safety Link’ (ship-to-shore link). The intelligent Multi Safety Link (iMSL) is a safety communication system applicable

for the LNG and LPG market. The primary function of iMSL is to communicate the safety status between ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore, its secondary function is to facilitate voice communication and data transmissions. Usage is mandatory for LNG/LPG cargo transfer operations between ship-to-shore and ship-toship. Steven Groenewold, Product Manager at Mampaey, states: “The intelligent Multi Safety Link is not only designed for the global LNG/ LPG distribution market but is also applicable for the emerging LNG bulk breakdown market e.g.: LNG bunker stations and LNG bunker ships.” It can also be integrated with the DockLock system. iMSL is an innovative solution with new design elements and new functionality compared with existing ship-to-shore safety link products currently available in the market. iMSL is a multi-link solution bridging the gap between the global bulk LNG distribution network and the downstream market. It is ready to meet and challenge future customer demands. Mampaey is very excited to introduce iMSL in the market at the end of 2015.

All Mampaey products are tested according to specified design conditions under supervision of classification authorities. Mampaey products always undergo Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) where required. These tests are part of its design philosophy and verification process to assure product quality.

Elaborating on the testing process, Gerard states: “Testing is not only to ensure ourselves that our products meet the highest standards of the marine industry, but it also ensures our customers the quality of Mampaey products.”

With innovations and new products, the time comes to unveil all of the developments that has been unseen until now and that will certainly enrich the market. Steven Groenewold, Product Manager Mampaey notes: “New developments need a platform to be heard and seen, so in order to see and talk with our customers, Mampaey Offshore Industries attended both the Gastech Singapore exhibition and the Europort exhibition in Rotterdam. The Gastech Singapore was the first opportunity this year

to see the iMSL system which was presented on stand B20.

Our stand facilitated a live demo and consultation with our specialists. Instead of just communicating about our new product, we want the audience to experience the added business value of iMSL. We think it’s vital for a new product to be test driven by its future consumers, that’s why we keep communication transparent and open. With iMSL being introduced in a rapidly changing market, we have to select the right opportunities on the right platforms. The Europort exhibition in Rotterdam offered a strong audience and a great platform, which gave Mampaey the opportunity to present and demonstrate iMSL in booth 7404.”

Mampaey Offshore Industries B.V. www.mampaey.com

• Leading supplier of mooring, berthing and towing systems • Launched innovative new product, DockLock in 2014 • Launching of the intelligent Multi Safety Link (Ship-to-Shore link) end of 2015

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Profile: docking solutions

In the

D

dock

evon based Docking Solutions has produced bespoke pontoons, bridges and access systems to meet the specific needs of its clients for almost two decades.

Since its establishment in 1998, the innovative company has developed strong relationships with its diverse customer base, which includes port and harbour authorities, marina owners, consulting engineers and other organisations such as the Ministry of Defence (MoD), RNLI and National Trust. Able

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to offer market leading durability, sustainability and cost-effectiveness, Docking Solutions also adheres to the latest ISO standards to ensure optimum quality.

Highly capable of offering a complete solution to customers, Docking Solutions benefits from the long-term expertise of its design engineers, fully trained fabricators, knowledgeable installers and naval architects who all work at the company’s site in Totnes. All workshops are located in a large undercover fabrication facility, which has its own integral blasting and painting enclosure; the site also provides access for pontoons up to 30 metres long and has direct access onto the River Dart.

With 17 years of experience under its belt, the company has developed its own ‘signature’ design pontoons, which are constructed of a spiral welded twin steel tube to ensure a robust platform for both industrial and commercial use.

These high quality, low maintenance pontoons have a design life of 25 years and are manufactured

with an emphasis on recycled materials. For heavier designs, welded tubular floats are used to provide both strength and stability; these can be constructed in sections that are typically up to 30 metres long, with a range of fixed or flexible joint options also available. Bridges of both steel and aluminium are built to the same high standard. Light weight pontoons have been created to form the company’s modular range, which was developed in response to market demand for a more economic pontoon. The modular float design consists of steel box floats that are positioned in each corner of the pontoon deck frame.

The majority of Docking Solutions’ pontoons are constructed from thick wall, large diameter tubular steel, which, when arranged in a catamaran configuration with welded cross tubes, provides an extremely rigid and stable platform. This strength and versatility allows the company to design for buoyancy, loading and geometric demands, without having to rely on the deck frame for strength.

In Docking Solutions’ warehouse, the

floats are fully welded then fully grit blasted to meet the internationally accepted Standard SA2½ and finished in a two component high build solvent free epoxy coating to 440 microns. All floatation components are previously pressure tested to guarantee they are watertight. Should customers require a longer life cycle for the product, Cathodic protection is an option.

Alongside pontoons, the company’s product porfolio also includes bridges and bank seats, fender panels, wave screens, boat storage cradles and special applications for customers including water authorities, fish farmers or energy generators in need of a unique solution. One example of this is the company’s work with energy giant EDF in the first quarter of 2014, which involved the supply of two transfer stations at Hartlepool.

For this contract, Docking Solutions delivered a 38 metre long, three metre wide pontoon and access bridge, which enabled two 20 metre support vessels to be serviced at the same time.

Through its ability to deliver high quality, long-lasting solutions, the company has developed an excellent reputation in the market, with between 30 per cent to 40 per cent of its order book coming from repeat business. A recent contract was announced in the first quarter of 2014, with Docking Solutions tasked to supply the MoD with two gangways to ensure access to vessels from the shore. The contract followed a previous MoD project at Devonport Dockyard, which involved Docking Solutions manufacturing four floating maintenance platforms.

In August 2014 Docking Solutions won a prestigious contract from the RNLI, as part of the charity’s

Coventina project in Poole. The work consisted of the design, manufacture and installation of galvanized steel pontoons and aluminium access structures at the RNLI’s North Quay and West Quay lifeboat construction site. The pontoons reached a total length of 70 metres at North Quay and 40 metres at West Quay, with each pontoon up to 23 metres in length and 3.5 metres in width.

The Coventina Project is a major investment for the charity, which involves the complete demolition of the existing lifeboat maintenance centre and construction of a new cutting edge shipyard and lifeboat centre.

As many of the company’s previous contracts come from networking and

exhibiting, Docking Solutions was back at Seawork International in June 2015, where it showed attendees the benefits of its two main products, medium-heavy pontoons and gangways. With harbour masters returning time and again for new pontoons that can be custommade or replacement programmes, Docking Solutions could exhibit these highly recommended products with confidence.

Proud to play an integral part in major contracts across the UK, Docking Solutions is certain to remain afloat in a market that requires high quality, bespoke results.

Docking Solutions

www.docking-solutions.co.uk • Industry leader in tubular steel structures • Manufactures bespoke solutions • Recently exhibited at SeaWork International

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Profile: Bogerd Martin

Navigational data

transfer

W

ith roots dating back as far as 1911, Bogerd Martin has achieved over a century of proven experience in the supply of charts and nautical publications to the marine industry.

The company has developed a leading reputation in the field of critical navigational data and today operates as one of the largest global distributors of charts and nautical publications in both digital and print formats.

With a strong global presence, Bogerd Martin is able to respond to customer requests for printed and electronic charts that ensure vessels receive critical navigational data wherever they are in the world in a rapid, accurate and efficient manner.

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business has strategically expanded its presence with offices in Shanghai and Tianjin in China, from where it not only provides charts, but also technical and safety equipment to bustling shipyards, including a significant quantity of electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS) developed by PC Maritime.

Furthermore, during January 2014 the company established a new office in the heart of Hong Kong’s shipping community to help it meet the needs of its clients in the region. Additionally in September 2015, Bogerd Martin opened a new sales office in Athens in support of the Greek market.

“We opened up our sales office in Athens to be closer to the Greek region, which is a very large market.

Certainly when it come to trends

such as the transition from paper to digital charts, it is necessary to have a local presence so that we are able to support our customer base,” explains Managing Director, Michael Martin.

“Our previously opened Hong Kong office has progressed extremely well.

We have enjoyed a very positive year during 2015 and clients are aware of our presence, which has led to strong business.”

Since the company was last profiled

by Shipping and Marine magazine during March 2015, Bogerd Martin has released the latest edition of its Chart Track Navigator tool for the managing of inventories, orders and corrections on board ship.

Designed as a user-friendly computer programme, Chart Track Navigator enables a vessel’s crew to list their

inventory, to activate or deactivate geographical areas depending on the ship’s route, as well as to download vessel-specific notices to mariners and tracings via email. Chart Track Navigator software further allows crew to visualise paper chart holdings on a digital catalogue and easily select charts that are required for the coming voyage. “Chart Track is a programme has existed for around 12 years now and we have recently upgraded the programme to provide clients with a completely different look, an improved interface and a new catalogue that can be used to select specific charts and publications,” Michael elaborates.

“With the ongoing transition within the maritime industry from paper to digital charts, there is a need to have a simplified platform with which to manage all the data that requires updating. The principle difference between electronic navigational charts (ENC) when compared to working with paper charts is that when clients buy a paper chart, they will use it

for two to three years or whenever an updated version is released. The use of ENC means that users are actually renting the chart data for specified amounts of time, which can be anything from three to six or 12 months as required.”

By allowing clients to purchase navigation data for specific routes and timescales as required, Chart Track Navigator offers an effective and cost effective solution when compared to traditional paper charts. Previously when ship owners and vessel managers acquired new tonnage, they would supply the new vessels with all of the required paper charts for the

foreseeable future. The ability to digitally purchase charts as required, as well as to effectively manage vast chart catalogues represent significant strengths that have enabled Chart Track Navigator to establish itself as a trusted navigation solution within several maritime sectors. “Chart Track Navigation is very well suited to the tanker trade for example, because these kinds of vessels are very carefully vetted. One of the issues that always checked by oil majors and industry regulators is the correction of charts.

Consequently electronic solutions for managing those charts are very popular in this sector,” Michael says.

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Profile: Bogerd Martin

“Additionally, we are also active across the entire field of vessels and have a very large number of offshore clients. Although offshore vessels have a limited number of charts on board, they often operate within areas where it is not easy for them to receive parcels and supplies, so it is much more convenient for them to receive

charts and corrections electronically.”

Through its commitment to on-going product development, incorporating its vast base of industry experience and close attention to the needs of its clients, in addition to a

dedicated aftersales support team, Bogerd Martin has enjoyed a strong history of success. This was typified throughout 2015 by an extremely positive year for the company, as Michael reveals: “This year has been a remarkably good year for us, after two or three years of relatively flat sales, we have had a huge boost this year. In fact sales are up by almost as much as 40 per cent when compared to 2014. We have seen an increase in turnover with a number of our existing customers because a number of them have acquired new vessels or in the case of ship management companies, they have taken more ships into management. I think that the fact we do offer an extremely high level of service and have done so for a long time means that customers are aware of us and know that we will take care of them. In this business it is important that clients come back to us every day with lots of small orders and it is only possible to do this with excellent client service.”

As the company prepares to navigate into 2016, Bogerd Martin will continue to support clients in the transition from paper to digital charts, while continuing to ensure that accurate paper charts and nautical publications remain available. “The transition from digital to paper requires a lot of effort from ship owners and ship managers, in terms of implementation, training and so forth. Therefore they require a partner who can help them manage all of the data that needs to be installed and maintained,” Michael concludes. “We have an entire digital team that is dedicated to this project and this will be something that we will continue to focus on. We are keen to increase our penetration into the digital market as paper charts become less common.

Paper charts will not disappear completely, but certainly there is a migration to digital solutions and Bogerd Martin is at the forefront.”

Bogerd Martin www.martin.be

• One of largest distributors of charts and nautical publications • Recently updated the Chart Track Navigator programme • Strengthened foothold with new office in Hong Kong and sales office in Athens

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